New York City Police Department Emergency Service Unit

The Emergency Service Unit (ESU) is part of the Special Operations Bureau of the New York City Police Department. The unit provides specialized support and advanced equipment to other NYPD units. Members of ESU are cross-trained in multiple disciplines for police, first aid, and rescue work.

ESU is always on patrol (all three tours, 365 days a year) with 10 Heavy Rescue trucks, each ordinarily manned by a police officer and a sergeant, and often more than twice as many smaller Radio Emergency Patrol vehicles containing two ESU police officers. There are also two or more citywide patrol sergeants or lieutenants in unmarked vehicles on duty at all times to supervise ESU operations where needed. These are called "U-Cars" on the NYPD radio, for example, "U-5".

History

On July 7th, 1925, former Police Commissioner Richard E. Enright established the Emergency Automobile Squad, which was the forerunner to today's ESU. The unit was created in order to address problems with growing urbanization in NYC that were beyond the capabilities of regular patrolmen. The first two units, Squad 1 (Manhattan / Bronx) and Squad 2 (Brooklyn / Queens) were staffed by six sergeants and forty-four officers. In September 1926, Police Commissioner George McLaughlin formed Squad 3, which was dedicated to the Bronx. It was also at that time that the name was changed from Emergency Automobile Squad to the Emergency Service Squad. In May 1928, Police Commissioner Joseph A. Warren doubled the number of existing units. By 1929, the Emergency Service Squad consisted of eleven trucks and was staffed by over two-hundred and fifty sergeants and patrolmen, and an additional nine trucks and over two hundred more personnel were scheduled to be added in January 1930.

From its inception, ESS had been under the control of precinct commanders, who lacked the training and expertise necessary for the efficient use of the unit's manpower and equipment. On April 10th, 1930, Police Commissioner Grover A. Whalen issued General Order #20 which created the Emergency Service Division and also placed it under the command of Inspector Daniel E. Kerr.

The Emergency Service Unit, Emerency Medical Squad has a primary mission to provide non-emergent medical services to active officers and their families along with retirees. The unit will also sit on standby with other units within the department and at high profile department events, in case of injury, to eliminate having to wait for a responding ambulance from the 911 system. Officers assigned to the medical squad possess a minimum of a New York State EMT-Basic certification and should have prior experience working on an ambulance . Before being assigned to the medical squad, officers must pass a series of interviews along with a physical agility test demonstrating their ability to carry patients and equipment. The unit maintains 2 ambulances fully stocked to the New York State Department of Health standard. Their base is located in Queens.

Vehicles

The Emergency Service Unit currently utilizes numerous vehicles including:

* Eleven Heavy Rescue trucks which are referred to as "Trucks". Trucks 1–10 were built b
Saulsbury Fire Apparatus
(now part of E-One). Truck 11 was built by Ferrara Fire Apparatus.
* 40 Radio Emergency Patrol (REP) trucks, which are referred to as "Cars", are ESU's work horse and used for regular patrol. Each REP is equipped with SCUBA gear, emergency medical equipment, rope rescue equipment, forcible entry equipment and rescue equipment including hydraulic rams and the Hurst Tool (Jaws of Life). REP trucks are built by Odyssey Specialty Vehicles.
* ESU's Emergency Medical Squad mans two ambulances.
* Four Lenco BearCat and two Lenco Peacekeeper armored vehicles 1 International POT (Photo Observation Truck), 1 Lenco BEAR (Ballistic Engineered Armored Rescue Vehicle).
* 14 portable light tower generator units stationed throughout the city. In addition to the towers, ESU can also deploy 60 kW, 90 kW, 100 kW and 200 kW generators upon request for additional power when required.
* Four Mobile Light Generators which are specialized light-power units with tower generators mounted in the bed of pickup trucks.
* 100 kW mobile generator trucks designated as Mobile Auxiliary Light Truck (MALT)s. It has the capability of supplying enough power to light up Grand Central Terminal.
* Construction Accident Response Vehicles (CARV) which responds to construction accidents and is used to stabilize structures and rescue entrapped workers/personnel.
* Emergency Support Vehicle (ESV) which is complete with a motorized Zodiac inflatable boat and deployable rescue airbag.
* ESU also has Twelve jet skis, plus numerous Zodiac inflatable boats assigned to units throughout the NYPD.

Image:NYPD ESU 9 truck 5509.jpg, NYPD ESU Heavy Rescue Truck 9
Image:NYPD Emergency Service truck.jpg, 2 NYPD ESU REP trucks from ESS 10

Recruitment

The personnel selected for ESU become highly trained members of the NYPD who perform rescue, SWAT and other high risk tactical, counter-narcotic and counter-terror operations.

There are minimum time-in-grade requirements before an NYPD officer can apply to transfer to ESU. Police Officers must have a minimum of 5 years in the department with a minimum annual rating of 3.5. Supervisors in the rank of sergeants and lieutenants must have 2 years in rank before being assigned to ESU. In addition, all ESU candidates must be approved by a group of current ESU members to ensure that they will integrate into the unit successfully.

Applicants have to complete the Specialized Training School over eight months receiving training in multiple disciplines including tactical, search and rescue, hazardous materials containment and become certified in SCUBA diving and as an Emergency Medical Technician. Tactical training includes room clearing, team movements, close quarter battle, a week of active shooter training and three weeks of specialized and heavy weapons training. ESU officers are equipped with the Colt M4 Commando rifle.

Casualties/line of duty deaths

ESU lost more members (14 out of 23 NYPD officers) than any other NYPD unit during the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001.

ESU in popular culture

Books

*
* ''330 Park'' a novel by Stanley Cohen
* ''Sniper's Moon'' a novel by Carsten Stroud
* ''E-Man: Life in the NYPD Emergency Service Unit'' – Al Sheppard's story of ten years in the Emergency Services Unit
* ''NYPD - On the streets with the Emergency Service Unit'' by Samuel Katz (1995)
* ''Anytime, Anywhere!'' by Samuel Katz (1997)
* ''Uncommon Valor: Insignia of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit'' by Andrew G. Nelson (2015)
* ''Uncommon Valor II: Challenge Coins of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit'' by Andrew G. Nelson (2017)
* ''Some Very Special Men - The Emergency Service to the Rescue'' by Cy Egan (1974)
* ''Police Emergency Squad No, 1'' by Stephen H. Schwartz (1974)

Films

* ''Fourteen Hours'' (1951)
* ''Leon'' (1994) (also known as ''The Professional'' and ''Léon: The Professional'')
* ''Godzilla'' (1998)
* ''The Bone Collector'' (1999)
* ''Phone Booth'' (2002)
* ''Inside Man'' (2006)
* '' 16 Blocks'' (2006)
* ''World Trade Center'' (2006)
* ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (2008)
* ''Watchmen'' (2009)
* '' The Taking of Pelham 123'' (2009)

Television series

Also seen extensively in:
* ''Elementary'' (2012–2019)
* '' Blue Bloods'' (2010–present)
* ''Castle'' (2009–2016)
* ''CSI: NY'' (2004–13)
* ''Law & Order'' (1990–2010), and its various spinoffs
**'' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', ''L&O: SVU'' (1999–present)
**''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', ''L&O:CI'' (2001–11)
**'' Law & Order: Trial by Jury'', ''L&O:TBJ'' (2005–06)
**'' Law & Order: Organized Crime'', ''L&O: OC'' (2021–present)
* ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–2005)
* ''Person of Interest'' (2011–2016)
* ''Third Watch'' (1999–2005)
* '' True Blue'' (1989-1990)
* ''Luke Cage'' (2016)
* ''Homeland'' (2017)
* ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' (2018)
* '' 24'' (season 8 only, 2018)
* ''The Blacklist (season 6) (E2) ESU guards escorting Reddington
* ''Only Murders in the Building (season 1)
* '' FBI: Most Wanted'' (Season 3, Ep.9 "Run-Hide-Fight". Some scenes)

Video games

* '' Max Payne''

See also

* SWAT
* New York City Police Department

References

External links

NYPD official website

''EMS World magazine'' July 2018 issue ''For Big Trouble in the Big Apple, Call the ESU''
*

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Emergency Service Unit
1920 establishments in New York City