This subfield focuses on the capacity of public institutions to prevent, act in and manage emergencies, in order to control risks, ensuring citizens’ normal lives. These categories comprise the multitude of prevention activities, of interventions for saving people’s lives and services for resuscitation and extrication (see the Mobile Emergency Service for Resuscitation and Extrication – SMURD), extinguishing fires, limiting damage produced by floods, landslides, earthquakes, epidemics, epizootics, snow emergencies, drought, assisting people in critical situations, intervening in technological, radiation and nuclear accidents, biological accidents or other types of natural or man-made disasters. The operational and response capacity in emergencies represents an indicator that shows the state’s potential to support the population in critical situations, accidents or natural disasters.