TodayFirst Responders Day
October 28, 2026
October 28, 2026 is Honoring the Nation's First Responders Day. This page stays up all year, and the date shown is always the current year. Senate resolutions have supported the designation. One example is S.Con.Res.15 in the 116th Congress. The Senate agreed to it in support of October 28, 2019.
First responders are firefighters, police officers and deputies, EMS and flight crews, 911 dispatchers, and search-and-rescue teams. The stories here are rescues, lifesaving help, reunions with the people they saved, and kindness in the community. Each one is checked and linked to the original report. Stories about use of force, shootings, pursuits, crime suspects, or politics are left off this page.
35 of 51 places have a story, counting Washington, D.C. An open state is ready for a tip.
By roleBy stateHow to say thanksFor classroomsShareAll first-responder stories
The strongest matches from the archive, grouped by the job the story describes. A newsroom pin stays at the front of its group.
FirefightersJacob Gilmore received the Iowa City Fire Department's Medal of Bravery after he pulled a colleague out from under a collapsed floor during a July house fire.
Verified · KWWL
FirefightersOfficers Chernyavskiy and Sena started CPR at a September cardiac arrest. Folsom firefighters joined them, the patient regained circulation, and was awake before leaving for the hospital.
Verified · Folsom Times
FirefightersOn Oct. 24, police started CPR and used a defibrillator on a 64-year-old in cardiac arrest. Paramedics and a fire engine crew continued care until a pulse returned, and the patient went to the cath lab.
Verified · Fall River Reporter
FirefightersCrews reached a Concord Street house at 6:30 a.m. and took one man out through a second-floor window. Another person left by the back door. Neither stayed for medics, and no firefighter was hurt.
Verified · WPXI
FirefightersGraham, born four months early and once dependent on a ventilator, now lives without medical equipment. He celebrated with the Florence Fire/EMS crew that trained for his care and later saved his life.
Verified · WLWT
FirefightersIn the North Hills rain, LAFD crews took a woman from the wash in stable condition, lifted a man out by helicopter, and hoisted another man off a bridge abutment. A reported fourth person was already ashore.
Verified · ABC7 Los Angeles
Police and deputiesJames O'Connell flagged down two officers and boosted one over a barrier so they could pull people from a burning wreck. Police say the quick action saved several lives.
Verified · CBS New York
Police and deputiesOfficer Carston Addison, on the force less than a year, dropped his gear and swam out to bring a 12-year-old boy to shore. Chief Mario Knapp gave him a special life-saving award.
Verified · CBS News Miami
Police and deputiesIn August her car went into a flooded retention pond on North Prospect Avenue. Three residents received Community Lifesaving Awards. Four officers received the chief's challenge coin, not those awards.
Verified · Good News Network
Police and deputiesMarshall County EMS resuscitated Sgt. Rodney Sleeth after he collapsed on duty. He was discharged without a lasting neurological injury, and the responders are being honored with him.
Verified · WTOV 9
Police and deputiesLafayette Parish Cpl. Jared Havard went into neck-deep water in full uniform after a nonverbal girl with autism slipped into a pond in Carencro. He got her back to the bank.
Verified · Gray News
Police and deputiesOfficer Elizabeth Mote took over after a neighbor started chest compressions on a 1-year-old who was not breathing. The child coughed, went to the hospital, and later made a full recovery.
Verified · WHIO
EMS and flight crewsPolice, firefighters, and a Mayo Ambulance crew received Life Saving Awards after Charland Campina's heart stopped three times. She came to the council meeting, and the chief said she is recovering.
Verified · KNSIEMS and flight crewsOn Oct. 24, police started CPR and used a defibrillator on a 64-year-old in cardiac arrest. Paramedics and a fire engine crew continued care until a pulse returned, and the patient went to the cath lab.
Verified · Fall River Reporter
EMS and flight crewsREACH and Guardian Flight crew members Steve Hardesty and Misae Nomiyama delivered baby Lacy safely during a climb. Both are 2026 Stars of Life, and they reunite with the family in Elko on Oct. 23.
Verified · 2 News Nevada
EMS and flight crewsThe First Responders Day Group gave $5,000 to the Texarkana College Foundation, and EMT student Hesley Rocha is the first recipient.
Verified · TXK Today
EMS and flight crewsAn ambulance crew found about 20 goats wandering a road, moved them to safety, and reunited them with their owner with the help of a bucket of corn.
Verified · News 12 New Jersey
EMS and flight crewsThe all-volunteer squad in Dante, Virginia, will offset training and response costs without charging patients for ambulance care.
Verified · The Lebanon NewsThe archive does not have a dispatcher story that clears this page. Send one in and the newsroom will check it.
Submit a story
Search and rescueThomas McGrimley slipped on a ledge near the summit in Bean's Purchase. Twenty-four volunteers reached him, splinted his leg, and carried him out in a litter.
Verified · Conway Daily Sun
Search and rescueThe boys climbed steep rock south of the lookout and could not get down. A Washoe County helicopter crew lifted them to deputies waiting below. They were tired and cold, and in good condition.
Verified · The Mountain Messenger
Search and rescueA hiker called 911 after getting turned around at Lizard's Mouth on Oct. 22. Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue used a phone location and three teams, and the first team walked him to his vehicle.
Verified · edhat
Search and rescueTwo groups got stranded on the closed Rock of Ages trail in the Columbia River Gorge. Multnomah County search-and-rescue volunteers found both pairs and walked them out.
Verified · The Oregonian
Search and rescueNine hikers in the Enchantments, including a rope-rescue firefighter, found a hypoglycemic woman off the trail and carried her out on poles, bivy sacks, and rope.
Verified · The Seattle Times
Search and rescueLeva Lase fell on the rocky steps below Glen Ellis Falls and could not walk out alone. A search-and-rescue paramedic reached her first, and she climbed back to the trailhead with the crew.
Verified · News Center MaineOne story for each state the archive can match, including Washington, D.C. Gold marks a story. An open state is waiting for a tip.
AlabamaGarrett Christie and Cade Lewis were headed to Sonic when they came upon a crash. They pried open a damaged door and helped the girl to safety.
Verified · WAFF 48This spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Alaska.
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ArizonaThe Phoenix-based Fetch Foundation sends fire departments free kits with pet oxygen masks, burn supplies, and critter bags. Phoenix crews used them after a house fire this week.
Verified · KJZZ
ArkansasEl Dorado firefighter Jacob Brimer ran from the Louisiana line to the Missouri line for Camp Sunshine and raised more than $15,000, with crews joining him town by town.
Verified · El Dorado News-TimesCaliforniaOfficers Chernyavskiy and Sena started CPR at a September cardiac arrest. Folsom firefighters joined them, the patient regained circulation, and was awake before leaving for the hospital.
Verified · Folsom Times
ColoradoSummit County-based C-RAD, which trains canine avalanche teams across the West, received the ASPCA's 2026 Henry Bergh Award in New York.
Verified · Summit Daily
ConnecticutGeorge Nanos, 15-year-old Hannah Welling, and 14-year-olds Jaden Vazquez and Keen Cercy received Connecticut General Assembly citations after three swimmers were brought out of Candlewood Lake.
Verified · FOX61This spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Delaware.
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District of ColumbiaCapital Yacht Club members and Wharf restaurants served a thank-you lunch to police, firefighters, EMS crews, and National Guard members at the Wharf.
Verified · WTOP
FloridaFourteen-year-old Kevin Sosa, struck by lightning at a soccer game in August, reunited with Delray Medical Center staff and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. His father's CPR and a bystander's help kept him alive, and he plans to play again.
Verified · WSVN 7News
GeorgiaThe Station 21 crew had just finished pet-care training when a veterinary clinic called for help with an emergency C-section. They cleared airways and moved the newborns into incubators.
Verified · WSB-TVThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Hawaii.
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IdahoJon Norstog spent a night by a fire in a space blanket after he missed his ride on Mex Mountain. An Idaho County search-and-rescue dog team found him the next morning, not injured.
Verified · Dailyfly News (Lewiston)IllinoisIn August her car went into a flooded retention pond on North Prospect Avenue. Three residents received Community Lifesaving Awards. Four officers received the chief's challenge coin, not those awards.
Verified · Good News Network
IndianaOfficer Alex Neel heard the dispatch, joined bystanders who were already doing CPR at a restaurant, and delivered shocks with a defibrillator. The woman regained consciousness at the scene.
Verified · WBIWIowaJacob Gilmore received the Iowa City Fire Department's Medal of Bravery after he pulled a colleague out from under a collapsed floor during a July house fire.
Verified · KWWLThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Kansas.
Submit a storyKentuckyGraham, born four months early and once dependent on a ventilator, now lives without medical equipment. He celebrated with the Florence Fire/EMS crew that trained for his care and later saved his life.
Verified · WLWTLouisianaLafayette Parish Cpl. Jared Havard went into neck-deep water in full uniform after a nonverbal girl with autism slipped into a pond in Carencro. He got her back to the bank.
Verified · Gray NewsThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Maine.
Submit a storyThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Maryland.
Submit a storyMassachusettsOn Oct. 24, police started CPR and used a defibrillator on a 64-year-old in cardiac arrest. Paramedics and a fire engine crew continued care until a pulse returned, and the patient went to the cath lab.
Verified · Fall River ReporterThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Michigan.
Submit a storyMinnesotaPolice, firefighters, and a Mayo Ambulance crew received Life Saving Awards after Charland Campina's heart stopped three times. She came to the council meeting, and the chief said she is recovering.
Verified · KNSIThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Mississippi.
Submit a storyThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Missouri.
Submit a storyThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Montana.
Submit a storyThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Nebraska.
Submit a storyNevadaREACH and Guardian Flight crew members Steve Hardesty and Misae Nomiyama delivered baby Lacy safely during a climb. Both are 2026 Stars of Life, and they reunite with the family in Elko on Oct. 23.
Verified · 2 News NevadaNew HampshireThomas McGrimley slipped on a ledge near the summit in Bean's Purchase. Twenty-four volunteers reached him, splinted his leg, and carried him out in a litter.
Verified · Conway Daily Sun
New JerseyAriana Leonardis, a student at Ocean County Vocational Technical School, had just learned CPR. Two days later in Tuckerton she helped a 3-week-old start breathing again.
Verified · NJ 101.5This spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in New Mexico.
Submit a storyNew YorkJames O'Connell flagged down two officers and boosted one over a barrier so they could pull people from a burning wreck. Police say the quick action saved several lives.
Verified · CBS New York
North CarolinaCrews checked the air, rigged a rescue, and had the dog out within 30 minutes on Crossview Drive. It went home with its owner.
Verified · WXII 12This spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in North Dakota.
Submit a storyOhioOfficer Elizabeth Mote took over after a neighbor started chest compressions on a 1-year-old who was not breathing. The child coughed, went to the hospital, and later made a full recovery.
Verified · WHIO
OklahomaJenks West Elementary nurse Chelsea Franklin held pressure on Dennis Adams's wound after he fainted outside the stadium, and stayed until paramedics arrived.
Verified · KTULOregonTwo groups got stranded on the closed Rock of Ages trail in the Columbia River Gorge. Multnomah County search-and-rescue volunteers found both pairs and walked them out.
Verified · The OregonianPennsylvaniaCrews reached a Concord Street house at 6:30 a.m. and took one man out through a second-floor window. Another person left by the back door. Neither stayed for medics, and no firefighter was hurt.
Verified · WPXIThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Rhode Island.
Submit a story
South CarolinaMore than 40 responders, including State Law Enforcement Division bloodhounds and the Department of Natural Resources, found Opel Hawkins safe Monday evening after an hours-long search in Fairfield County.
Verified · WISThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in South Dakota.
Submit a story
TennesseeDeputy Matthew Arrington kept giving back blows until a piece of sandwich came free and a Siegel High student could breathe. He received a Letter of Commendation.
Verified · WSMV 4
TexasAt Pine Tree ISD's Parker Elementary in Longview, Ashley Peterson saw Kassidy Childress choking, and Assistant Principal Kyle Burns cleared her airway.
Verified · KLTV
UtahTyce Gardner was hit in the chest by a ball and went into cardiac arrest. Coach Gene Richins started compressions at once, and doctors expect Tyce to fully recover.
Verified · KSL.comThis spot is waiting for a rescue, a lifesaving moment, or an act of kindness by first responders in Vermont.
Submit a storyVirginiaThe all-volunteer squad in Dante, Virginia, will offset training and response costs without charging patients for ambulance care.
Verified · The Lebanon NewsWashingtonNine hikers in the Enchantments, including a rope-rescue firefighter, found a hypoglycemic woman off the trail and carried her out on poles, bivy sacks, and rope.
Verified · The Seattle TimesWest VirginiaMarshall County EMS resuscitated Sgt. Rodney Sleeth after he collapsed on duty. He was discharged without a lasting neurological injury, and the responders are being honored with him.
Verified · WTOV 9
WisconsinCrews found the fire in a third-floor bedroom on West Walnut Street, put it out, and rescued a dog. Nobody was hurt.
Verified · WBAY
WyomingA broken water main flooded Gregg Way before dawn. The driver climbed onto the stuck truck, and Cheyenne Fire Rescue brought him down with an aerial ladder. No one was hurt.
Verified · Cap City NewsFree ideas, with no petition and no donation form on this page. The links go to the organizations that already do the work.
A short note for a teacher to read with children about ages 6 to 12. This page is for adults. Leave politics out of the cards. Do not ask students for a full name, age, school, or email address.
Print this and let the class fill in the blanks. A teacher can mail the cards to a local station.
Dear First Responder,
Thank you for helping people in our town. I am glad you are there when someone needs help.
One thing I want to thank you for is ________.
From, ________
More stories a teacher can read aloud are in the Kids section · Story of the Day On this page, a teacher can also read: A Monroe EMS crew walked a runaway herd of goats back home, Search and rescue walked a lost hiker out of Lizard's Mouth, A DC yacht club feeds first responders for the 34th year, Cobb County firefighters helped deliver 15 puppies in one shift, and Cheyenne firefighters used a ladder truck to reach a driver stuck in floodwater.
Five true, uplifting stories in your inbox at 6 a.m. It takes two minutes to read and it sets the tone for the whole day.