Crash Responder Safety Week starts Monday

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Monday will be the start of Crash Responder Safety Week.

A first responder in the US is killed nearly once every week trying to clear a car crash or work an incident.

Firefighters and paramedics are urging the public to use extreme caution while driving near traffic accidents. 

The US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration will launch a new initiative Monday designed to raise public awareness and help keep firefighters, paramedics and other first responders safe. 

“Firefighters and other emergency responders are on our highways to serve the public and keep us all safe, and they deserve to go home to their families safe and sound. Let’s use this Crash Responder Safety Week to commit to a safer work environment for our firefighters and travelers,” International Association of Fire fighters (IAFF) General President Edward Kelly said.