
Emergency Services Sector
Sector Detail
The Emergency Services Sector (ESS) is a community of millions of highly-skilled, trained personnel, along with the physical and cyber resources, that provide a wide range of prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery services during both day-to-day operations and incident response. The ESS includes geographically distributed facilities and equipment in both paid and volunteer capacities organized primarily at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels of government, such as city police departments and fire stations, county sheriff’s offices, Department of Defense police and fire departments, and town public works departments. The ESS also includes private sector resources, such as industrial fire departments, private security organizations, and private emergency medical services providers.
Overview
The mission of the Emergency Services Sector is to save lives, protect property and the environment, assist communities impacted by disasters, and aid recovery during emergencies.
Five distinct disciplines compose the ESS, encompassing a wide range of emergency response functions and roles:
- Law Enforcement
- Fire and Rescue Services
- Emergency Medical Services
- Emergency Management
- Public Works
The ESS also provides specialized emergency services through individual personnel and teams. These specialized capabilities may be found in one or more various disciplines, depending on the jurisdiction:
- Tactical Teams (i.e., SWAT)
- Hazardous Devices Team/Public Safety Bomb Disposal
- Public Safety Dive Teams/Maritime Units
- Canine Units
- Aviation Units (i.e., police and medevac helicopters)
- Hazardous Materials (i.e., HAZMAT)
- Search and Rescue Teams
- Public Safety Answering Points (i.e., 9-1-1 call centers)
- Fusion Centers
- Private Security Guard Forces
- National Guard Civil Support
Sector-Specific Plan
The 2015 Emergency Services Sector-Specific Plan details how the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) 2013 risk management framework is implemented within the context of the unique characteristics and risk landscape of the sector. Each Sector Risk Management Agency develops a sector-specific plan through a coordinated effort involving its public and private sector partners. The Department of Homeland Security is designated as the Sector Risk Management Agency for the Emergency Services Sector.
Additional information is available in the Emergency Services Sector-Specific Plan Fact Sheet.
The Emergency Services Sector (ESS) has dependencies and interdependencies with multiple critical infrastructure sectors and the National Response Framework's Emergency Support Functions, which provide assistance for both the operation and protection of ESS assets.
Sector Charters and Membership
View the Emergency Services Government Coordinating Council (GCC) and Sector Coordinating Council (SCC) Charters and Membership.
Emergency Services Sector Coordinating Council
Emergency Services Government Coordinating Council
Crisis Event Response and Recovery Access (CERRA)
The capability for State, local, tribal, and territorial authorities to safely, securely, and effectively control and coordinate the access of key response and recovery resources into an affected area during an emergency has been identified as a critical success factor in enabling overall community recovery.
Crisis Event Response and Recovery Access (CERRA) Introductory Video
Crisis Event Response and Recovery Access (CERRA) Framework
Sector Initiatives
Emergency Services Sector Cybersecurity Initiative
Sector Resources
Sector Training
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with other government agencies, offers a wide array of free training programs to government and private sector partners to facilitate the Emergency Services Sector mission.
Emergency Services Sector Active Shooter Workshop
Emergency Services Sector Active Shooter Guide
Additional Training for the Emergency Services Sector
Additional Resources
Science and Technology - First Responder Capability
A program that provides technical assistance and develops innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges faced by first responders, emergency managers, and incident commanders as they respond to hazardous situations.
Fusion Centers
Serve as focal points within the state and local environment for the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of threat-related information between the federal government and state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector partners.
Protective Security Advisors
Trained critical infrastructure protection and vulnerability mitigation subject matter experts who deliver critical infrastructure protection programs and services are delivered to state, local, territorial,, tribal and private sector stakeholders.
Office for State and Local Law Enforcement
Provides primary coordination, liaison, and advocacy for state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies for the Department of Homeland Security.
Technical Resource for Incident Prevention (TRIPwire)
A 24/7 online, secure, collaborative, information-sharing network for bomb squad, law enforcement, and other emergency services personnel to learn about current terrorist improvised explosive device tactics, techniques, and procedures.
Homeland Security Digital Library
The nation’s premier collection of documents related to homeland security policy, strategy, and organizational management.
Contact Us
For more information, contact the Emergency Services Sector Risk Management Team at EmergencyServicesSector@cisa.dhs.gov