first responder

American  

[furst ri-spon-der] / ˈfɜrst rɪˈspɒn dər /

noun

• first responders
  plural

1. a person who is certified to provide medical care in emergencies before more highly trained medical personnel arrive on the scene.

   a firefighter trained as a first responder.

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first responder British  

noun

1. a person who is trained to provide basic life support in a medical emergency

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Usage

What does first responder mean? A first responder is a real-life superhero. They're someone whose job is to respond immediately (first) when there is an accident or emergency. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), paramedics, firefighters, and police officers are all considered first responders. How is first responder pronounced?[ furst ri-spon-der ]

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• first responders
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of first responder

First recorded in 1970–75

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Compare meaning

How does first-responder compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• first responder vs. EMT

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first responder

A first responder told the BBC they had never seen such a disaster in Coron, calling it "really heartbreaking".

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Community first responder Emily Hilton was assessing the man who had fallen on a busy main road in Cardiff last March.

From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2026

His grandson Mendy Amzalak told The Australian that he had rushed to the scene on the beach as a first responder.

From Barron's ● Dec. 17, 2025

“If there had been a fire in one of the buildings or a first responder needed to access the area, they would have been trapped and blocked,” the letter from the city reads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025

I was taking a certified first responder course with the lifeguards.

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin

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