OPINION — For first responders, what most of us would consider an extraordinary crisis can simply be part of a Tuesday.

Law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, correctional officers and paramedics routinely face circumstances many people may experience only once, if ever, in their lifetime. They respond to medical emergencies, enter burning structures, manage dangerous encounters and make split-second decisions when another person’s life may be at risk.

That work requires constant physical and mental readiness. But repeatedly facing crisis, trauma, injury and death can also take a serious toll.