ASPR’s Commitment to First Responders: Our Partners in Supporting Communities During Disasters and Public Health Emergencies

First of all, I’d like to take a moment to honor the bravery, skill, and commitment of our EMS professionals and first responders. This dedicated workforce includes everyday heroes who work around the clock to protect health and save lives. Whether in a large city or a rural town, EMS professionals show up every day to support their communities, without hesitation. Thank you for everything you do.

During my 34 years of service in emergency response, I’ve seen how quickly plans change in an emergency and I know that responders need timely, clear support – not delays and red tape.

At ASPR we are working to make plans for preparedness and response usable, scalable, and focused on real outcomes to save lives during the worst of times. That kind of planning takes contributions from everyone – EMS, hospitals, healthcare facilities, state and local public health, and many, many others. By working together before disasters, we can make sure our preparedness work isn’t just theoretical – it’s practical and flexible. It is the relationships built before a disaster that hold up when things fall apart.

ASPR makes it easier for responders to access resources and guidance to prepare and respond. We are here to back up communities and provide some of the tools, coordination, and resources you need to help you do your job well when the systems around you are overwhelmed. That includes making sure communication is clear and federal support is easy to access—especially in more remote or underserved areas.

There are a lot of people across the federal government who genuinely want to support local responders. We know that some of the systems in place can be too complex or slow to meet the needs of responders on the ground. At ASPR, I am drawing on my experience in emergency response to simplify access to the support you need, improve coordination before disaster strikes, and make sure that the services we provide are useful.

My Vision for ASPR

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw firsthand how quickly even well-laid plans could get overwhelmed. The systems that had been exercised regularly and leadership teams that had worked together before the crisis made the biggest difference when seconds count.

My vision for ASPR is centered on practical, adaptive, effective preparedness: getting ahead of problems and making sure the systems we build are reliable and ready to perform under pressure. That means improving coordination, investing in the basics like workforce and supply readiness, and making sure our plans aren’t just sitting on shelves—they’re exercised, refined, and ready to go.

I look forward to working with all our partners to help communities recover stronger after every disaster or public health emergency.

John Knox is a dedicated public servant with over 34 years of experience in emergency response, disaster management, and public health advocacy. He began his career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff, where he honed his skills in law enforcement, search and rescue, and inter-agency collaboration. Building on this foundation, John transitioned to the fire service, serving as a firefighter and paramedic with the Los Angeles Fire Department.