They’re the first on the scene at major trauma events and this weekend, San Antonio firefighters, EMS and police officers were the first in line to give back to the community by donating blood.
Conrad Gonzales, a retired San Antonio firefighter, felt he needed to step up when he heard that the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center’s blood supply continues to be at an all-time low, due to the pandemic.
“I thought, you know, let’s get the firefighters (and) make this, like, a first annual first responder blood drive,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales reached out to Christy Cracraft, a supervisor at STBTC, to plan the Battle of the Badges Blood Drive, a two-day event hosted at the San Antonio Fire Department’s Union Hall.
“I feel like by leading the way, that we get a better community response,” Cracraft said.
According to STBTC, blood drives provide about 70% of the community supply.