Emergency Services Sector
The Emergency Services Sector provides the essential public safety, security, response, and recovery services that communities rely upon every day and during major emergencies. The sector includes organizations and personnel responsible for law enforcement, fire and rescue services, emergency medical services, emergency management, and other specialized capabilities that protect lives and property.
Overview
The sector is composed of a diverse network of public, private, and volunteer organizations operating at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels. These organizations respond to incidents ranging from routine emergencies to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, cyber incidents, hazardous-material events, and other large-scale emergencies.
Emergency services depend heavily on other critical infrastructure, including communications for 911 and dispatch services, transportation for moving personnel and equipment, healthcare facilities for patient care, energy for essential operations, and information technology for coordination and information sharing. Disruptions to these supporting systems can directly affect emergency response capabilities.
Protecting the Emergency Services Sector requires cybersecurity, physical security, interoperable communications, continuity planning, emergency preparedness, information sharing, and resilient facilities and systems. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security serves as the Sector Risk Management Agency for the Emergency Services Sector and works with public safety organizations and other partners to strengthen preparedness and resilience.
