First responders play a vital role in every community. Police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and dispatchers are often the first to arrive when emergencies strike.<\/p>\n
They are the ones we call during our darkest moments, relying on their training, calm decision-making and courage. Their work saves lives, prevents further disasters and provides stability during chaos.<\/p>\n
Yet behind bravery and professionalism is a reality that many communities face: a growing shortage of first responders. In numerous fire companies, more than 80% of the firefighting force is made up of volunteers, according to the National Fire Protection Association. While these volunteers dedicate countless hours to serving their neighbors, the number of volunteer firefighters nationwide has dropped from nearly 900,000 in 1984 to around 677,000 in 2020, creating a critical staffing challenge across the United States.<\/p>\n
At the same time, emergency calls have risen by approximately 70% since 2008, according to the National Fire Protection Association. This combination of increased demand and declining personnel has placed heavy strain on those still serving.<\/p>\n
Recognizing the importance of preparing the next generation, Lackawanna County 4H, in partnership with the city of Carbondale and the Carbondale Fire Department, is launching a new Junior First Responders Program. This initiative introduces youth to the world of emergency services and helps them develop an understanding of the responsibilities and teamwork required in first responder roles.<\/p>\n
Participants will explore emergency preparedness, learn about firefighting and rescue operations, gain insight into law enforcement and interact with medical professionals. The goal is to provide young people with hands-on experiences that build confidence, leadership and respect for the essential work first responders perform every day. It is also an opportunity for young people to discover potential career paths and understand how they, too, can support and strengthen their communities.<\/p>\n
To introduce the program, Lackawanna County 4H invites families to an open house on April 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Carbondale Fire Company, located at 1 N. Main St., Carbondale. Community members will have the chance to meet local firefighters, ask questions and learn more about how this program will positively impact local youth.<\/p>\n
As the need for first responders continues to grow, programs like these help ensure that future generations are informed, inspired and ready to serve. For questions, reach out to Kristin at kls5017@psu.edu.<\/p>\n
Kristin Armstrong is a Penn State Extension 4-H Educator in Lackawanna County.<\/p>\n
If you go<\/p>\n
What: Lackawanna County 4H Junior First Responders Program open house<\/p>\n
When: April 21, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Where: Carbondale Fire Company, 1 N. Main St., Carbondale<\/p>\n
Info: Email Kristin at kls5017@psu.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"First responders play a vital role in every community. Police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and dispatchers are often…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":161122,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[3099,201,28,178,180,179,3098,3053,3054],"class_list":{"0":"post-161121","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scranton","8":"tag-carbondale","9":"tag-lackawanna-county","10":"tag-pennsylvania","11":"tag-scranton","12":"tag-scranton-headlines","13":"tag-scranton-news","14":"tag-upvalley","15":"tag-valley-advantage","16":"tag-valley-advantage-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}