[jimpeel]

Here is a copy of a letter that I have sent to several news outlets recently. I have been in the position of being one of the true First Responders and have waited for up to an hour for the "First Responders" to get to the scene of an accident. Frankly, I am getting sick to death with this newspeak political correctness.

My letter:In his press conference on "The Station" fire, Rhode Island Governor Carcieri credited the "First Responders" -- referring to fire and police personnel -- but failed to credit the true First Responders of that terrible night.

A viewing of the video tape shows common citizens making a valiant effort to pull trapped victims from crowded doorways and windows, prior to the full involvement of the building, while the wail of approaching sirens sounds in the background.

The term "First responders" is a newspeak term that was invented after 9-11 and ignores the common citizen Samaritans who, every day, render aid and comfort to accident and disaster victims throughout America; without attribution or compensation for their selfless acts.

For this, I say "God bless America's true First Responders."

Sincerely,

Jim Peel

[4v50 Gary]

"First Responders" is a term that has been thrown at us during our annual Advanced Officer training for several years before 9-11. None of us really gave it any thought though.

[WR Olsen]

FEMA uses the term "First Responder" to describe those public protection agencies who will be the first organized response effort.

Thats the formal meaning, despite what the media say.

[DeltaElite]

The people that were there did a great job. If not for the other patrons, even more lives would have been lost.

That place was fully involved before the "first responders" even got there, wasn't it?

[Hkmp5sd]

First Responders are people that have advanced medical training above the common CPR/First Aid training most of us normal citizens acquire. These are generally EMS/Fire/Police personnel. The term has been around for many years.

[Blackhawk]

The term is just a designation for trained emergency personnel on duty.

Those on the scene are almost always the first to respond to the need for help.

[Mikul]

The way I had it defined during my EMS training is that a first responder is the first TRAINED individual on scene. If you have first aid/CPR training and stop at a car wreck, YOU are the first responder and are liable for the care of those people until you hand them off to someone of equal or greater training.

[4v50 Gary]

So that's why I was taught how to deliver a baby. Glad there's plenty of paramedics and firefighters around. :D

[jimpeel]

There is no attempt here, by me, to denigrate the fine men and women who daily risk their lives and limbs in the employ of those who have hired them to do so.

I just have a problem with the newspeak that has gotten thrown around as of late; "first responders", "weapons of mass destruction", "gun safety", "challenged", "undocumented workers", "civil union", "late term abortion", etc., etc., ad nauseum.

Nothing is as it really is; because the public needs to be fooled into thinking it is something that it is not based on the way its description sounds. Another great example is the titles that are given to Congressional bills that make them sound innocuous when they are devastating to our rights.

Read Orwell's "1984" and see what I mean.

[Blackhawk]

I've gotten used to it, Jim.

In elementary school, a nice, fat, old guy officed in the furnace room and was called the "janitor". Sometimes a teacher would ask me to go down there to get something or other. He was fun to visit with, and he'd answer any question a kid could throw at him about the automatic coal feeder, etc.

Later when I found out he was an early "custodial engineer," a lot of fun went out of the memories.

I got very cynical when I found out that stinky old Bert was a "sanitation engineer" instead of a garbage man.

No wonder I wasn't that enthusiastic about becoming a mechanical engineer.... :rolleyes: