National First Responders Day: Celebrating, honoring community heroes

JACKSON, Tenn. — Tuesday is National First Responders Day and one local fire department is spreading the word.

National First Responders Day is observed annually to honor the courage and dedication of local police, firefighters, EMA, and others.

It’s also a time to honor those who have lost their life in the line of duty.

We spoke with Jackson Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction Specialist Melissa Nelson who shares how first responders grow with their communities.

“The Jackson Fire Department has grown substantially, as we know is growing very quickly. That means the more the city grows the more we have to grow with it,” said Nelson.

Nelson also tell us how their line of work can take a toll on responders mental health.

“A lot of times people don’t understand until you’ve been in emergency situation. You don’t ever really know how your going to react. Like for the fire department we see all kinds of different things everyday but we have to push though and continue to serve our community but we always need to check on each other as well,” said Nelson.

Nelson says they didn’t have any planned events this year, but the department said if the community is interested enough they might next year.

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