Emergency Services
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.
Objectives
The Emergency Services SIG aims to do the following:
- Provide a focal point for FPH members who share a common interest in the emergency services and public health.
- Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and information (expanding the network of people interested in working with the emergency services).
- Act as an expert resource to FPH and its members on knowledge, practice and the development of policies and strategies related to emergency services and public health.
- Build active collaborations and strengthen partnerships to increase FPH reach and influence.
- Ensure that the emergency services are recognised as part of the wider public health workforce.
- Develop and advocate policies and programmes of work that support delivery of FPH’s vision, mission, and objectives.
- Provide opportunities for trainees.
Contact
The Emergency Services SIG reports to the Health Services Committee (HSC) and is chaired by Rachel Forbes and Christina Downham.
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
This webinar explored how communities can be supported to become more resilient, enabling them to be better prepared in the face of emergencies, and the role of emergency services in this work. It discussed themes of violence, adverse weather events, and sustainability, and considered the win-win outcomes of resilience building.
This event was organised by the FPH Emergency Services and Sustainable Development SIGs and took place on 11 April 2024 as part of series of learning webinars during Global Public Health Week.
The term ‘social love’ describes the motivation and actions of a system, organisation, or institution (and people working within them), for the purpose of the collective good, increasing the wellbeing of another, self, community, and the environment. With a collective affective quality, it involves care, respect, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, and trust, valuing the other, self, community, and environment, and remaining open and receptive.
This event was jointly organised by the FPH Emergency Services SIG and the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA). It took place on 8 April 2024 as part of series of learning webinars during Global Public Health Week.
