A day to say thank you to our first responders.

First responders are ordinary people. They have families, commitments, and homes to go to at the end of their working day. They’ve got dinner to make, shopping to do, and bills to pay.

But they also dedicate every day to protecting and keeping us safe.

Whether it’s the firefighters who battle the infernos that wreak havoc on our nation, the paramedics who respond to emergency situations every day, the triple zero operators who provide life-saving emergency call-taking and dispatch, the marine rescue teams, police and lifesavers working to find missing persons and keep our communities safe, or the SES men and women who leave their own families at home to ensure that another family has a roof over their heads. We owe every one of them – as well as the families who support them through it all – a debt of gratitude.

Yet many of Australia’s 300,000 first responders receive little thanks for what they do. We need to change that.

12 June 2024 is Thank a First Responder Day, when we ask you to join us in saying two simple words to our first responders: Thank you.