Do Not Abdicate Your Responsibility as a First Responder

In today’s world, it is common to recognize first responders at sporting events, community gatherings, or on national holidays.  And well they should be recognized.

Celebrating firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other emergency personnel for their courage, quick thinking, and dedication to saving lives is fitting.  In most cases, just their unforms serve as a visible reminder of their service.  Few would argue against recognizing these individuals for their dedication to serve.

However, are they really “first” responders?  How often do police show up to a shooting only to count the dead bodies?  How often do paramedics show up to pronounce someone deceased while dozens of people are already standing around the body?

Origin of the Term

The term “first responder” began in the 1970’s.  The Boston Globe coined the term in 1973 when journalists wrote several articles about ambulance regulations.

The scope of the term expanded over time but gained widespread recognition after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The image of firefighters rushing into the burning towers, police officers guiding people to safety, and paramedics tending to the wounded cemented the term in United States consciousness.

Without a doubt these individual respond to crises with skill and urgency.  Their work is indispensable.

Who Used to be the First Responder?

But if one were to go back say, eight generations, who would the first responders be?  The answer is anyone and everyone.

When a fire occurred in a city before the advent of fire engines, the community formed a bucket brigade to carry water from a well or other water source.  It was the expectation.

Everyday people have also acted as law enforcement.  Take the case of townsmen from Coffeyville, Kansas taking up arms to stop an armed gang of bank robbers.

Families building up their farms were more than just farmers in the early days of the western United States. They took on every activity including acting as doctors, teachers, and even policeman.  Towns often had militias to mount a military defense in the event of an attack by raiders.

Abdicating Responsibility

Those who control the language, control the argument.  Language can change the way people think.

When someone says, “He is a first responder.”  They are also saying, “You are not a first responder.”  When one hears that throughout his or her life, it is difficult to think otherwise.  When someone has a medical emergency, people have become trained to wait for a “First Responder.”

I have personally witnessed people stand around an injured person, gawking at the blood, instead of accepting the challenge to be the first one to help.  I have basic first aid training.  It was a required high school class, just like it was for everyone else in my state.  If everyone was required to learn the basics, why not respond?

First Responders Are Anyone Present

In reality, the first responders are anyone present.  If someone witnesses a tragedy, the witness can and should respond.  It may mean pulling someone to safety or performing CPR.  It may mean comforting a child.  It may simply mean holding someone’s hand until someone else arrives.

Responding does not mean mindlessly charging into peril yourself.  In many cases, it may mean simply calling 911 instead of taking pictures for a Facebook post.  Moreover, the United States passed Good Samaritan Laws to protect people when giving reasonable assistance to injured or incapacitated.

Spiritual First Responders

Just as many have been conditioned to abdicate their responsibility to be a first responder, they have abdicated the same role spiritually.

In my parish, there are approximately 4,000 parishioners ministered by 4 priests.  That means each parishioner, on average, should get 43 minutes per month of one-on-one time with one of the priests.  But that also would assume the priests are doing nothing else!  They would have no time for praying, saying mass, eating, or even sleeping.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the laity share in the priestly and prophetic mission of Christ (CCC 897-913).  This means Catholics must be active participants in the life of the Church.  Anyone who believes that all spiritual matters are the responsibility of the priests misses the point completely.

Consider the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), where the master entrusts his servants with money and expects them to invest them wisely.  Too many Catholics have buried their talents out of fear or complacency.

Instead of waiting for a priest, one must dig up his talents and act.  This might mean initiating family prayer, self-study of the Faith, or engaging in conversations about Christ with those who have drifted away.

Fathers and Mothers as Patriarchs and Matriarchs

The family serves as the domestic church, and parents are its first responders.  Every man should be the priest and patriarch of his home just as every woman should be the matriarch.

Today’s culture misunderstands (intentionally?) the term “patriarch.” Some have twisted this word to imply tyranny or unearned privilege.  A patriarch is a servant-leader; one who sacrifices for the good of his family.

Similarly, a matriarch guides with love and wisdom.  She must nurture the spiritual and emotional well-being of her household.  These roles are not optional.  Both are vocations rooted in the sacrament of marriage.

Parents are the first to respond when their children face a moral or spiritual crises. They must act and guide their child or children exposed to sin through media or peers.

Parents must use their authority to turn off devices, set boundaries, and speak truth to their children. This is not a one-time effort but a continuous battle against a culture that seeks to normalize sin.  By modeling a life of faith, parents teach their children to be first responders in their own lives, equipped to face moral and spiritual challenges with courage.

Responding to Broader Crises

One’s responsibility as a first responder also extends beyond the family. Catholics should respond to those in spiritual need just as one might rush to aid someone in physical distress.  This might mean offering a kind word to a struggling neighbor, praying outside an abortion clinic, or defending Catholic teachings in a hostile environment.

The current culture incrementally erodes moral boundaries.  Whether resisting the normalization of abortion, pornography, homosexuality, or other sins, the faithful must hold the line with fortitude.

Catholics are invited to be first responders in every sense – physically, morally, and spiritually.  No one should wait for others to act when a crisis arises, whether it be an injury or a soul drifting from God.  As St. Pope John Paul II urged, “Be not afraid.”