first responder

noun

: a person (such as a police officer or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance

Examples of first responder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With some forty-six million dollars from Norfolk Southern, there’d soon be a new park, a rail depot, and a high-tech training facility for first responders. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2024 Because power was out to much of the area, security camera video generally wasn’t available, so investigators had to rely on interviews with residents and first responders to piece together the events. Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024 The morning of April 15, 2023, a first responder responded to Walker’s cell after a report of a cardiac arrest, and he was pronounced dead, the complaint says. Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024 South Bay residents Phil Ortega, 31, and Paige Vitale, 32, are accused of negligently leaving narcotics around the home off Southwest Expressway where first responders were called Aug. 12 and discovered that Winter had been dead for more than half a day. Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024 The bill was authored by Republican lawmakers, who also cited the need to help first responders identify electric vehicles. Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024 Maynard told first responders he was injured in a recent incident involving a metal pipe, according to police. Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024 That's when the rescue operation began, and first responders tried to confirm how many construction workers were missing. Mansee Khurana, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024 Wisconsin Department of Transportation cameras show a significant presence of first responders at the scene. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'first responder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first responder was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near first responder

Cite this Entry

“First responder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20responder. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

first responder

noun
first re·​spond·​er
-ri-ˈspän-dər
: a person (as a police officer or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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