People Emergency Medical Call Making Services Police Departments

In the United States, there are many government "agencies" (offices) and services that try to help people in emergencies or rescue people when they need help. When someone has an emergency, he or she should call the emergency number (usually 9-1-1) and the "dispatcher" (a person who answers the phone and tells other people where to go in response to the request) will decide which emergency "crews" (groups of people who work together) should go to help.

Almost all cities have police departments and fire departments to help people in emergencies. When they are responding to an emergency, the police cars and fire trucks are driven with "sirens" (loud noises) and flashing lights so that they can move through traffic quickly and get to the "scene of the accident" (where an accident happens). Paramedics are usually the first people to arrive, and they "administer" (perform; give) basic medical treatment until the injured person can be taken to the hospital.

There are also specialized services for other types of emergencies and rescues. For example, if someone is trapped on a boat that is no longer working, the Coast Guard might "come to the rescue" (help a person in a difficult or dangerous situation). If someone is "lost" (doesn't know where one is), maybe because he or she was "hiking" (walking long distances outdoors) when a storm came, search-and-rescue crews will drive and walk throughout the area, looking for that person. Also, if there is a "bomb threat" (when someone says that an explosive device is in a certain place), a bomb disposal crew will come to find and "dismantle" (take something apart) the bomb.