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AB263 is about respect for private-sector EMTs

Source: The Daily Bulletin

Public and private emergency responders play a critical role when disaster strikes. When police, fire, or emergency medical services (EMS) answer a call, the public’s safety is first of mind when running into a fire or active shooter situation, not their own.

This was made abundantly clear with incidents such as the shooting at a congressional baseball practice last month or the shooting at a UPS facility in San Francisco. Our system is set up to respond to tragic incidents with the speed and professionalism we, as public taxpayers, demand. In turn, we honor and celebrate them for their work. But we have not provided the same kind of recognition to all of our first responders and have consequently left some of these heroes behind.