Emergency Services encompass a variety of services that operate in various ways to ensure the handling of public safety, security, and health emergencies.
As a general frame of reference, these might be referred to as police, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS), but each of these involves several focus areas, and the management, coordination, functions and even the names that they go by might differ sharply from country to country, state to state, county to county, and even at the city and town levels. Additionally, the organizations providing these services might be public, private for-profit, or non-profit organizations.
In the United States, for example, some cities and towns operate public safety departments, by whatever name, which include EMS, fire, and police services. In contrast, others have multiple police agencies, fire companies, and ambulance services operating within the same city. While it is common for fire departments to include prehospital ambulance services, FD-operated ambulances are probably not the only ambulance services in the city, as private ambulance companies are very common in some parts of the country and less common in others.
There are also volunteer fire departments and ambulance services. While most volunteer EMS and fire services are owned by a city or county government, others (particularly when it comes to ambulance services) are operated as non-profits separate from any government agency.
I was a volunteer firefighter with the Los Fresnos VFD in Los Fresnos, Texas, for a few years, and my EMS career began with what was then the Community Ambulance Service in Los Fresnos. At that time, at least, both were organizationally independent of the City of Los Fresnos, although they had contracts with the city and other governmental entities. I worked in most aspects of Emergency Medical Services in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. While there were some city-operated EMS departments, some operated through a fire department, as well as some volunteer companies, 9-1-1 ambulance services were primarily provided by for-profit private ambulance companies under contract with various cities, towns, counties, and other entities.
Additionally, there are several private for-profit ambulance companies providing non-emergency transport services. Although many of these do not have 9-1-1 emergency contracts and don't routinely respond to emergencies, they are equipped to do so. They are sometimes brought into service for emergencies when the 9-1-1 providers are overwhelmed. Given that most 9-1-1 emergency EMS providers also do non-emergency transports. Nonemergency transport providers of ambulance transports are also considered a part of this category.
Along the same lines, private security companies are also included here, as they function in many ways similarly to police departments. However, they don't generally have police powers. Off-duty police personnel often take jobs with private security companies for extra income, so there is a symbiosis that we will recognize and honor here.
Police and law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and EMS providers are the primary emergency services. Together, they provide basic emergency medical assistance and care and can be directly summoned by the public. These services will be covered more fully within the subcategories of this section of our guide.
Besides the primary emergency services, there are specialized emergency services that shouldn't be forgotten. Again, these are likely to differ in name or construction depending on location, but these entities provide specialized services that are needed from time to time. Specialized services are often provided as a division or unit of one of the primary emergency services, but they may also operate as a separate government or private body.
Although there are exceptions, specialized services are usually called upon, as needed, by primary emergency services to handle or augment certain emergencies. Some of these have jurisdiction only over specific geographical areas or circumstances.
Specialized emergency services may include animal control services, a bomb squad, border guards, code enforcement, civil defense, conservation officers, coroners, emergency management, humanitarian aid, incident response teams, lifeguards, park rangers, poison control, prison guards, public works, tactical units, search and rescue, security guards, ski patrol, tow trucks, and wildlife fire suppression.
While these are recognized as specialized emergency services, some of these are specialized departments within a fire department, police department or EMS department or company, and we will include the Coast Guard with the military, within the Government category within the applicable nation
Categories
Emergency Medical ServicesFire Services | Police Services |
Recommended Resources
The ACLS Certification Institute was formed in 2010 by a team of healthcare and emergency medical providers to provide online certifications and recertifications in emergency life support certifications, such as Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS), Neonatal Resuscitation (NR), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Artiles, practice tests, and ACLS, BLS, and PALS algorithms are featured, with information about accreditations and online sign-ups.
https://acls.com/
American Academy of Emergency Medicine
Formed in 1993, the AAEM is a non-profit professional medical association of emergency medicine physicians. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the organization has a cooperative arrangement with the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians to provide a united front for the interests of emergency medicine. Its leadership, staff, affiliates, collaborating organizations, publications, and other resources are featured.
https://www.aaem.org/
American Board of Emergency Medicine
The ABEM is one of twenty-four medical specialty certification boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Created in the 1970s, ABEM certifies emergency physicians who meet its educational, professional, and examination standards and is one of 24 medical specialty certification boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Its history, membership policies, leadership, and volunteer opportunities are posted, and ABEM-certified physicians may be found.
https://www.abem.org/
American Board of Urgent Care Medicine
The ABUCM is an independent certifying body for Urgent Care Medicine, establishing standards for clinical competence and high-quality of patient care and promoting education required for professional excellence. Its interrelated functions are to certify properly qualified candidates in the specialty of Urgent Care Medicine and to ensure recognition of the resulting board certification. Contacts are posted, and verification of credentials may be obtained through the site.
http://www.abucm.org/
American College of Emergency Physicians
ACEP is a professional organization of emergency medicine physicians in the United States. A partner of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, ACEP publishes the Annals of Emergency Medicine and the Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open. ACEP formed the American Board of Emergency Medicine in 1976. Its history, leadership, strategic plan, and membership information are set forth, along with its accreditation programs, clinical policies, and career information.
https://www.acep.org/
Apollo MD, Emergency Medicine Staffing
Apollo MD is an emergency medicine staffing agency with over forty years of experience in emergency departments. Its physicians and APCs are compensated based on the patients they treat and the procedures they perform, as well as patient satisfaction and objective quality measures. Owned and operated by practicing physicians and APCs and based in Atlanta, Georgia, Apollo MD will work to assemble a core group of clinicians to live within the community and become vested in the client.
https://apollomd.com/hospitals/services/emergency-medicine/
Created in 2000, EMedHome provides independent online educational resources for emergency medicine providers. Available for free until 2005, a subscription plan was instituted to offer each subscriber CME credits, expand the educational offerings on the site, including peer-reviewed content, and adopt the latest technologies. Use of the online program requires the completion of a registration process, which may be completed online. Its features and CME programs are described.
https://www.emedhome.com/
Emergency Medicine Residents Association
The EMRA is a professional organization representing more than 90% of resident physicians training in emergency medicine in the United States. Founded in 1974 and based in Irving, Texas, it is the world's oldest and largest independent medical resident group, with members including medical students, interns, residents, fellows, and alumni. The organization publishes EMResident. EMRA VLogs, and other publications, films, and mobile applications. Contacts are posted.
https://www.emra.org/
Kings III Emergency Communications
Founded in 1989, Kings III provides emergency communication services across the United States and Canada. Monitoring more than 100,000 emergency telephones, the company is fully integrated, not only engineering and manufacturing phones but also providing installation, maintenance, and 24/7 monitoring solutions. Each help phone is designed, assembled, and supported in the United States, and its full-time operators are Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatcher certified and HIPAA compliant.
https://www.kingsiii.com/
The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) was created to foster the technological, availability, and implementation of a universal emergency telephone number system in the United States. It promotes research, planning, training, and education. One of its functions is to grade the quality of the 9-1-1 services existing throughout the country based on established standards of practice. Training, standards, programs, services, and member resources are available.
https://www.nena.org/
Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
SAEM is a professional organization for emergency medicine academicians. Based in Des Plaines, Illinois, the organization was created through the 1989 merger of the University Association for Emergency Medicine and the Society of Teachers of Emergency Medicine. It has published "Academic Emergency Medicine," the official journal of SAEM, since 1994. Its membership policies, strategic plan, services, leadership, academies, interest groups, and affiliates are featured.
https://www.saem.org/
