platforms at
Lexington Avenue - 53rd Street in 2017ESU is always on patrol (all three
tours, 365 days a year) with ten Heavy Rescue trucks, each ordinarily manned by an ESU Detective and a sergeant, and often more than twice as many smaller Radio Emergency Patrol vehicles containing two ESU members. 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" over
NYPD radio; they patrol as either U-5 (Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island) or U-4 (Manhattan, the Bronx) and respond to major incidents within their assigned boroughs for the tour.
Field organizations The 10 Emergency Service Squads (ESS) (or "Trucks") are divided geographically as: • ESS-1 (
Manhattan South) • ESS-2 (
Manhattan North) • ESS-3 (
Bronx South) • ESS 4 (
Bronx North) • ESS-5 (
Staten Island) • ESS-6 (
Brooklyn South) • ESS-7 (Brooklyn East) • ESS-8 (Brooklyn North) • ESS-9 (
Queens South) • ESS-10 (Queens North) • ESS-11 (
Floyd Bennett Field) (support vehicle assigned to SOD/ESU headquarters) • ESS-14 Hazmat/Rescue Truck • Additional specialized vehicles strategically stored at designated squad locations
Apprehension Tactical Team The Apprehension Tactical Team, referred to as the "A-Team", is ESU's full-time
high risk search warrant team with citywide jurisdiction. A-Team members strictly perform tactical missions which, on a day-to-day basis, are typically high risk search warrants. The Emergency Service Unit can be called upon to support any unit within the NYPD, as well as state and federal law enforcement and out-of-city law enforcement elsewhere in
New York state and the
New York metropolitan area if necessary. The NYPD Emergency Service Unit is widely considered to have the highest operational tempo of any SWAT unit in the United States, performing up to 4,500 callouts per year ranging from barricaded subjects to high risk search warrants, perpetrator searches, tactical interventions, counter assault team deployments, police support callouts, and jumper rescue scenarios.
Canine Team The Canine Team has 44
police dogs that assist in searches for perpetrators and missing persons. The unit includes three
bloodhounds and several dogs cross-trained in
cadaver recovery. The ESU canines are an integral part of the US-TF1
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team as deployed by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Hazmat/Weapons of Mass Destruction Team The Hazmat/Weapons of Mass Destruction Team is tasked with investigating and responding to any
chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) incidents. They also assist the Bomb Squad on explosive device callouts.
Emergency Medical Squad The Emergency Medical Squad is tasked with providing care to NYPD officers and their families, alongside any other victims where required, during medical emergencies without having to wait for
New York City Fire Department Bureau of EMS medics. Officers assigned to the Emergency Medical Squad are licensed EMTs with prior experience. They are headquartered in Queens. ==Vehicles==