Emergency Service Unit

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) Some of this article's listed sources may not be reliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed. (June 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Emergency Service Unit" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2012) This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (June 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Emergency Service Unit" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

An emergency service unit (ESU), alternatively emergency service detail (ESD) or emergency service squad (ESS), is a type of unit within an emergency service, usually police, that is capable of responding to and handling a broader or more specific range of emergencies and calls for service than regular units within their organization, such as rescue, emergency management, and mass casualty incidents. They are similar to police tactical units, fire department technical rescue, and incident response teams in other emergency services and organizations, and often have similar or overlapping roles; the term is also used synonymously for these units, or as a catch-all for units that combine multiple disciplines and roles under one banner.

The term originated with the Emergency Service Unit of the New York City Police Department, which handles emergencies ranging from tactical responses and K-9 deployments to technical rescue and even emergency medicine.