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Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
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  4. Critical Infrastructure Sectors
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Fire truck rushing to an emergency in the city

Emergency Services Sector

Supporting millions of skilled personnel with physical and cyber resources, the Emergency Services Sector helps save lives, protect property and the environment, and assist in recovery efforts.

Critical Infrastructure Sectors

  • Chemical Sector
  • Commercial Facilities Sector
  • Communications Sector
  • Critical Manufacturing Sector
  • Dams Sector
  • Defense Industrial Base Sector
  • Emergency Services Sector
  • Energy Sector
  • Financial Services Sector
  • Food and Agriculture Sector
  • Government Facilities Sector
  • Healthcare and Public Health Sector
  • Information Technology Sector
  • Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector
  • Transportation Systems Sector
  • Water and Wastewater 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.

Emergency Services Sector-Specific Plan 2015 (PDF, 4.08 MB )

Additional information is available in the Emergency Services Sector-Specific Plan Fact Sheet.

Emergency Services Sector-Specific Plan Fact Sheet (PDF, 160.78 KB )

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

A full membership list of the emergency services sector coordinating council.

Emergency Services Government Coordinating Council

A full list of the members of the 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

VIDEO
The CERRA Introductory Video discusses the Access and Re-entry issue, and introduces the interoperable access management approach outlined in the DHS CERRA Framework.

Crisis Event Response and Recovery Access (CERRA) Framework

MAR 13, 2018 | PUBLICATION
The Crisis Event Response and Recovery Access (CERRA) Framework focuses on supporting State, local, and regional efforts to enable the successful transit and access of critical response and recovery resources before, during, and after emergencies.
View Files

Sector Initiatives

Emergency Services Sector Cybersecurity Initiative

The Emergency Services Sector Cybersecurity Initiative is an ongoing effort to better understand and manage cyber risks and to coordinate the sharing of cyber information and tools between subject matter experts and the sector.

Sector Resources

Jan 26, 2018
Publication

Emergency Services Sector Profile

Jul 07, 2020
Publication

Emergency Services Sector Landscape

Jun 10, 2014
Publication

Emergency Services Sector-Specific Tabletop Exercise Program

Apr 02, 2018
Publication

Emergency Services Sector Continuity Planning Suite

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

INCREASE YOUR RESILIENCE
Contact: ASworkshop@cisa.dhs.gov
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) hosts a one-day Active Shooter Workshop to enhance awareness of and response to an active shooter event.
Foundational, Intermediate, Advanced

Emergency Services Sector Active Shooter Guide

JUL 09, 2020 | PUBLICATION
The purpose of the Emergency Services Sector Active Shooter Guide is to provide emergency services personnel with the basic building blocks for developing an Active Shooter Program with communities.
Download File (PDF, 442.36 KB)

Additional Training for the Emergency Services Sector

DHS offers a variety of trainings to support the Emergency Services Sector to include bombing prevention awareness and active shooter preparedness.

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

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