Emergency services

There is only one main type of police force in the UK. Most police officers in Britain don't carry guns. They patrol the streets to see what is happening. They usually do this on foot, or in a car. Sometimes they use horses or bikes. Police officers often go to schools to give talks to the pupils about crime, drugs and things like that.
The main job of the fire service is to fight fires. They also help in other situations, for example when there are floods and other disasters. They also help in road accidents. They use special tools to cut open cars to get people out.
The coastguard helps people at sea. It also helps people who have problems on the coast because they have falle or got stuck in a dangerous place. There are 24 coastguard stations and they often have to use helicopters to find people and lift them out of the water.
In some parts of the country, like Scotland and the Lake District, there is alsoa mountain rescue service. They help when people have an accident or get lost in the hills and mountains.
Ambulances take people to hospital in an emergency. The paramedics also give first aid in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. There is also an air ambulance service. They use helicopters to reach people in difficult places quickly.