Most of these people do not need to be thanked whatsoever.
Including teachers like myself.
If you did a truly heroic service or act above and beyond then yes.
Or if you did your job strictly from moral duty, not pleasure.
If you are a volunteer, yes.
If you are or were paid decently, then no. It all depends on what the
person did to deserve thanks. A desk job? Kitchen work? Police and fire
know the possible risks, so do many others.
I know this is not a popular opinion, don't care.
I thought I was the only one who feels this way, Victor. Yes, I'm glad that the police department is there for me, but cops get paid. (And paid quite well in Los Angeles - starting salary is close to $70K per year
before adding in benefits, pension and overtime.)
People choose their professions based on what speaks to them. I'm grateful to ALL who do their jobs well, from the waitress whose feet ache at the end of a long shift but she nevertheless smiles when I place my order, to the cheerful caregivers at my father-in-law's assisted living facility, to the seamstress who earns barely above slave wages in China but still managed to sew the seams straight on the shirt I'm wearing, to the police officer who helps maintain order, to the teachers who taught me and my children, to the mental health professionals who help people sort out their troubles, to the farm owners and migrant workers who make it possible to have food on my table, to the water and power people who keep the utilities flowing, to the members of the press who inform us, and so on.
We are all important little cogs in keeping society's machinery working. Without any of these jobs being performed adequately the works would gum up pretty quickly.
IMHO the word "hero" has become overused to the point where it is nearly as meaningless as "awesome." Both should describe someone or something exceedingly rare. Not all who serve in the military, police or fire are heroes, just as not every breakfast taco is awesome.
