LDD 2020 Most Influential: First Responders

Time Magazine has highlighted distinguished people for decades. The list of faces that have graced the magazine’s cover is noteworthy. I can quickly name off some of my favorites: Princess Diana, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Regan, John F Kennedy… Then, of course, there are the covers of collective groups, including The American Solider or The Silence Breakers, just to name a few. Time Magazine has just released Time 100 Most Influential People 2020 under their Icons division. This year they included and honored health care workers, acknowledging a new army of protectors. As Katie Couric wrote: “From doctors to janitors, the entire ecosystem that keeps a hospital functioning became a new kind of ground zero, their exhausted eyes conveying competence and compassion. There are two simple words for their heroism: Thank you.”. I couldn’t agree more, Katie. These heroes should be celebrated worldwide.

Although, I believe there is another icon that should also be acknowledge and praised: our first responders. The EMTs, Firefighters, Paramedics, and Police officers. They are on the true front lines. It is in a living room, not a hospital triage, where they assess a patient while frightened family members hover, peppering well-meaning questions at their backs. They use the streets, the back of ambulances, or, on occasion, the backseat of a police cruiser as their examination and treatment rooms. This year has delivered an entirely new landscape for those on our front lines. Covid, lock downs, and widespread civil unrest are all adding a level of stress and pressure that at times is nothing short of overwhelming and, sometimes, is almost unbearable.

I wish I held the influence that Time Magazine does. Nevertheless, I’d like to think that our followers will join me raising up our ‘First Responders’ as LDD’s 2020 Most Influential!

However, LDD doesn’t just want to acknowledge the greatness that these amazing humans accomplish every day. We want to give our first responders design solutions to assist them in creating a home that is the oasis they need when they hang up that badge, stethoscope, or turnout gear.

Kathleen and I have done a series of interviews over the last few months. In this time we’ve been listening, asking hard questions, and querying our first responders to share with us what the challenges are that they face when returning home at the end of a shift. What does, or what would make, the act of turning the doorknob and entering their home an enjoyable, rewarding, or even a healing experience?

These interviews yielded design solutions in five categories: Peace & Quiet; solutions for a restful sleep, Relax & Chill; solutions for special spaces that foster decompressing, Clean & Free; solutions for spaces that offer dedicated sanitation, Refuel & Recharge; solutions for kitchens or pantries with dedicated quick service stations, and Security and Sanctity; solutions for safety measures that are still appealing.

If you are a first responder, or if you love one and want to help create the oasis, we’ve got the solutions. Sign up now to receive a unique link for our ‘first responders home design solutions’ created specifically for those who give us so much.

Thank you just doesn’t seem to be enough. Stay safe, stay healthy.