When Lawrence County’s first responders arrive on a scene their first priority — as it should be — is to save lives.

We applaud all the men and women who serve on our police and fire departments and EMS crews. They have tough jobs that come with little, or no, pay.

But another often overlooked component of being on an accident or fire scene or responding to some sort of natural disaster is dealing with the media.

But don’t let the word confuse you. Media basically means the public or taxpayer. The press in all its formats is an extension of the average citizen. It is our job to gather information and report it to the public as quickly, completely and accurately as possible.

The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium wants to do its part to help by offering a free U.S. Department of Homeland-certified media awareness course that provides valuable insight into helping to understand how the media works and how to work with the media.

This free class will be on April 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department.

To attend this session or get more information, contact the RDPC at (877) 855-7372.

Right now, this program is in jeopardy of being cancelled because a lack of participation. That would be a shame and a disservice to the public that relies on the first responders doing their part to help the media do their jobs.