Zambia emergency services include all aspects of emergency support including the police, fire and rescue and medical interventions. Organisations active in this area help ensure public health and safety by addressing different emergencies. Agencies may engage in community awareness and prevention programs to help the public avoid, detect, and report emergencies effectively. Police provide community safety and act to reduce crime against persons and property. Fire service operators provide firefighters to deal with fire and rescue emergencies. They may also deal with secondary emergency service duties like getting a cat down from a tree. Emergency medical services provide ambulances and staff to deal with life-threatening health incidents.
Most emergencies require an urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation. But in some circumstances, agencies may only be able to reduce risk and/or pain. The responsibilities of the different organisations dealing with an emergency vary. Some are set in statute, and others are voluntary.
Law Enforcement (Zambia Police)
Enforcing laws, conducting criminal investigations, collecting evidence, apprehending suspects, securing the judicial system, and ensuring custody and rehabilitation of offenders. The primary areas of police responsibility at a major incident are:
Fire and Rescue Services
Zambia has 109 fire stations around the country. Firefighters get called out to put out fires and to deal with other emergencies. They also spend time educating the community to prevent unwanted fires, control hazardous materials, and enforce building safety codes.
Emergency Medical Services
This involves the provison of medical care at the scene of an incident, during an infectious disease outbreak, and during patient transport and delivery to a hospital or other treatment facility. Ambulance staff respond to medical emergencies and accidents, treat patients at the scene and, if needed, transport them to hospital. They are available to help in emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Public works
The Zambian Government, through its Public Service Management Division and other relevant bodies, assesses and repairs damage to buildings, roads, and bridges; clears, removes, and disposes of debris from public spaces; restores utility services; and manages emergency traffic.
Emergency service numbers in Zambia
Emergency services have dedicated emergency telephone numbers reserved for critical emergency calls in Zambia: