Emergency services

Emergency services are a group of public organizations whose primary role is to provide safety and security to the public in times of emergency. These services include law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement agencies are responsible for maintaining public order and safety, enforcing the law, and preventing, detecting, and investigating criminal activities. These agencies include local police departments, county sheriffs' departments, state police/highway patrol, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Fire Department

The fire department is an organization that provides firefighting services as well as other related services such as fire prevention, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, and technical rescue. Fire departments are usually public organizations that operate within a municipality, county, state, nation, or special district.

Emergency Medical Services

Emergency medical services (EMS) provide out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care for patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitute a medical emergency. EMS is a critical component of the broader healthcare system due to its role in population health, public health, injury prevention, and disaster response.

Emergency Services in Different Countries

Emergency services operate differently in different countries. In some countries, these services are primarily volunteer-led, such as in Australia and Ireland. In others, they may be run by a combination of paid professionals and volunteers, such as in the United States and United Kingdom.

See Also

• Emergency service
• Emergency management
• Emergency medical responder
• Emergency service unit
• Emergency medical technician
• Paramedic