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Emergency Services SIG

The Emergency Services SIG was established in 2023 to promote the advancement of knowledge in relation to the role of public health and the emergency services.

There has been a surge of interest in public health approaches in policing, the ambulance service, and the fire service, as an effective way to reduce crime and violence, prevent ill health, and increase health and wellbeing.  The emergency services SIG will support FPH in its aims to act as an authoritative body for the purposes of consultation and advocacy, in matters both of educational and public interest, by acting as an expert resource in this area (for the FPH and its members); and by ensuring that public health develops with a view to maintaining the highest possible standards of professional competence and practice.

The emergency services SIG will support the FPH priorities around workforce, standards, knowledge, advocacy, and partnership.

Vision and Aims

The Emergency Services SIG exists to promote amongst our peers:

  • The need for public health approaches in emergency services
  • The need for public health professionals to collaborate with emergency services to address complex problems (like addressing the social determinants of health), and connect our emergency services colleagues with existing work where applicable
  • The need for public health professionals to share their expertise around data management, understanding, and interpretation with emergency services colleagues

We will establish and strengthen knowledge of these areas, and facilitate networking within the SIG. 

We will create a space for development and sharing of public health expertise related to work with the emergency services.

Contact

The Emergency Services SIG reports to the Health Services Committee (HSC) and is chaired by Sammer Tang. 

FPH members can join this SIG by logging into their FPH members’ portal account, selecting the ‘Committees/SIGs’ button and choosing the correct SIG. You will then be asked to provide a few details, following which your application will be automatically approved. Further details on FPH membership are available here.

Webinar recordings

Faculty members can visit the FPH Members Portal to watch webinar recordings.

Workplan

Activity: Within the SIG, we will strengthen knowledge of:

  • The need for public health approaches within emergency services, including emergency departments
  • The need for public health professionals to collaborate with emergency services
  • The need for public health professionals to share expertise around data

Outcome: Regular meetings of the SIG (quarterly for 1 hour)

Target date: Review March 2026

Named lead: Co-chairs

Progress to date: Our SIG has met numerous times since its formation in June 2023 and membership has grown.

Activity: We will promote among our peers:

  • The need for public health approaches within emergency services and emergency departments
  • The need for public health professionals to collaborate with emergency services
  • The need for public health professionals to share expertise around data

Outcome: 

  • Hosting webinars/talks from key stakeholders and partners focused on these topics, including collaborative webinars with organisations like RCEM and GLEPHA.
  • Publication of a draft handbook that has been produced, aimed at Public Health professionals interested in engaging and working with emergency services.

Target date: Review March 2026

Named lead: All SIG members, SIG Co-chairs

Progress to date: 

The Emergency Services SIG hosted a well-attended webinar in October 2023, with presentations from speakers discussing public health approaches in policing, fire, ambulance, and emergency medicine.

The Emergency Services SIG coordinated/instigated multiple presentations for Global Public Health Week 2024, as collaborations between FPH special interest groups. The ES SIG directly ran two presentations, available on the SIG web page.

The handbook for public health professionals interested in engaging and working with emergency services (including examples from all four nations) is in the final stages and will be shared with the HSC for approval as soon as possible.

Become a Member

Become a Member

FPH is the professional home for public health in the UK and abroad. We support around 6,000 members in 79 countries across all career stages enabling them to drive the profession forward and achieve our vision of improving public health.

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