Introduction to the
Public Safety System
Created by Curt Harrell
& Jesse Kuzy
for
Public Safety
O Public Safety is the protection of
members of the public from injury,
especially due to crime and natural
disaster.
O The public safety system exists to:
O Ensure the safety of the general public
O Educate citizens about safety, injury
prevention, and disaster response.
Departments
The public safety
systems consists of
numerous departments,
including:
• Law Enforcement
• Fire Departments
• Emergency Medical
Services
• The Department of
Homeland Security
http://blog.firedepartment.org/firechief/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/KentFireDepartmentPatch1000px.jpg
http://www.hvremsco.org/Logo%20beta.GIF
Fire Departments
Fire departments
provide a wide range
of services, including:
• Protecting lives and
property from fire
• Providing
emergency medical
services
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/assets/2008/07/25/200872511.jpg
Fire Departments [cont’d]
• Protecting against exposure to hazardous conditions
and substances
• Educating the public about fire safety and prevention
Fire Departments are usually organized at the local
level.
http://fireline.seattle.gov/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/fire-department-kids-day-3.jpg
Law Enforcement
O Law Enforcement agencies ensure the public
safety by:
O Maintaining public order
O Responding to emergency situations
O Protecting public property and officials
O Investigating crime to assist in prosecution
http://www.jlpp.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/133165134_745fc53097.jpg
Law Enforcement [cont’d]
O Agencies can be
organized at the state,
local, or national level.
O Officers may be patrol
officers or may belong
to a number of
specialized teams,
such as S.W.A.T.,
narcotics, K-9, CSI, and
others.
http://www.cityofboise.org/Departments/Police/Images/page5285.jpg
Emergency Medical Services
O Emergency Medical
Services, often
abbreviated to EMS,
provide on-site
emergency care and
evacuate seriously
injured persons to
hospitals for
additional
emergency care.
http://ontariomedic.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Toronto-EMS-action.jpg
Emergency Medical Services
[cont’d]
O Minimum standards for EMS providers are regulated
by the federal government, but services are usually
organized at the local level.
O Some areas may be serviced by private EMS
providers; these providers are subject to the same
standards as public EMS.
http://www.itrauma.org/conference/images/CabarrusEMS.jpg
http://www.bensalemrescue.org/new/Images/_EMS-Logo-Color.gif
The Department of Homeland
Security
O The Department of Homeland Security was founded
in 2002 to ensure the safety of the public from
terrorist attacks, in part as a response to the 9/11
attacks.
The Department of Homeland
Security [cont’d]
O Homeland Security coordinates and centralizes a
number of previously disparate national security
activities, including:
O Counterterrorism
O Immigration
O Border Security
O Preparedness, Response and Recovery
O Cyber terrorism
Summary
O Public Safety System
O Ensure and educate safety to the general
public
O Several Departments of Public Safety
O Fire Departments
O Law Enforcement
O Emergency Medical Services
O Department of Homeland Security