Emergency Services
Emergency Services are critical when response is needed to life's dangerous situations. Find topics related to FEMA, firefighters, 9-1-1 and the Amber Alert.
What Is a Postal Code? A Brief History of Zip Codes
From Human Skulls to Handguns, the Paris Lost and Found Has Seen It All
Running Antarctica's 'Penguin Post Office': Coolest Job Ever?
Democracy vs. Republic: What's the Difference?
How the Census Works
Birth Tourism: A Controversial Road to Citizenship
What to Do if Your Vote Is Challenged on Election Day
Why Does the U.S. House of Representatives Have Only 435 Seats?
Do Campaign TV Ads Really Change Voters' Minds?
Who Are the Sanctioned Russian Oligarchs?
How British Parliament Works
Nearly 1,000 U.S. Streets Named After MLK Jr. What Are They Like?
Is Taiwan a Country? It Depends on Which Criteria You Use
How Do Equity and Equality Differ?
How Is a 19th-century Obscenity Law Being Used to Ban the Abortion Pill?
How Does the U.S. Government Declassify Top Secret Documents?
How Does the U.S. Classify Its Most Sensitive Documents?
Why Data Encryption Remains a Really Complex Issue
Learn More
Natural disasters may not pair well with the COVID-19 pandemic. For America to brace the impact, it needs to prepare now.
By Ari Kelo
President Harry Truman signed it into law in 1950 and it's been invoked many times ever since. Should President Donald Trump be using it more to help health care workers?
By John Donovan
What is the Waffle House Index anyway, and does the Federal Emergency Management Agency really use it to gauge local disasters?
By Sarah Gleim
Advertisement
Some legal experts say that the U.S. government lacks the authority to close state borders or quarantine entire cities to stop the coronavirus from spreading. Others aren't so sure.
Two consecutive 2017 hurricanes nearly exhausted FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund before Congress replenished it. But will that always happen?
Having trouble with your homework? Looking to meet a nice guy? Need some cigarettes? Who you gonna call? 911? Believe it or not, all of these are actual 911 calls. And they aren't the worst examples of emergency number misuse.
By Dave Roos
The image of a firefighter sliding down a pole to his truck and gear as alarms scream in the background is nothing short of iconic. But is it really necessary? Does sliding down a pole save time?
Advertisement
While all rehab centers and programs aim to treat addiction, not all offer the amenities of an upscale resort. Learn about rehab's beginnings in prohibition and the types of treatment available today.
By Josh Clark
The idea behind 9-1-1 is pretty simple: Give people a single, easy-to-remember number to call to receive help during any life-threatening situation. Learn how 9-1-1 got started and how it works.
By Julia Layton
To a typical kid, the only thing cooler than a firetruck is a person who rides in one. Take a closer look at what it takes to become a municipal firefighter and examine different elements of their training.
Although much of FEMA's recent press has been negative, for more than 20 years the agency has been a powerful force in helping Americans prepare for, deal with and recover from some of the worst disasters in history. What type of aid does FEMA provide?
Advertisement
It's an all too terrifying reality: Thousands of children are kidnapped each year. The AMBER Alert system gets the word out quickly when a child is taken. Find out how AMBER Alert works.
By Kevin Bonsor
During an emergency, Americans know to dial 911 for help. How and why was that number selected as the emergency phone number for the entire country?
Many buildings in my area have a big red, yellow and blue diamond-shaped sign with numbers on it. Do you know what this sign means?
Movies and TV shows depict emergency rooms as insanely intense places. But do you want to know what an emergency department in a hospital is really like? Learn all about what goes on in a real-life ER.