Cayman Hyperbaric Services
The Cayman Islands has a hyperbaric chamber, or recompression chamber, located at the Anthony S. Eden Hospital. The chamber is used to treat diving emergencies, specifically decompression illness (also known as ‘the bends’), and other medical conditions that can benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Cayman Hyperbaric Services has a team of 30 qualified and dedicated part-time operators and attendants to operate the recompression chamber. The unit is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on an on-call basis to treat diving emergencies and other medical issues.
Contact:
t: 949-2989
e: [email protected]
w: hsa.ky
Cayman Islands Coast Guard
As a government agency, the Cayman Islands Coast Guard forms part of the Office of the Commissioner of Police. The duties and responsibilities of the Coast Guard include, but are not limited to:
• Search-and-rescue operations, including responding to distress calls and performing rescue missions for people and vessels in distress.
• Maritime law enforcement, including interdicting illegal activities such as drug trafficking, piracy and illegal fishing.
• Enforcement of the port security regulations, including inspecting vessels entering and leaving Cayman Islands waters, to ensure compliance with safety and security regulations.
• Environmental protection, in conjunction with the Department of Environment.
The Coast Guard should be contacted in case of any maritime emergency such as a distress call from a vessel in trouble, a person overboard, or an environmental incident.
Contact:
t: 911 (emergency)
t: 649-7710 (general enquiries)
Cayman Islands Fire Service
The Cayman Islands Fire Service serves all three of the Cayman Islands, operating from stations in George Town (Station 1), Frank Sound (Station 2), West Bay (Station 3), Cayman Brac (Station 4) and Little Cayman (Station 5).
The service responds to structural fires, and vehicular fires and accidents, conducting rescue operations and providing specialised aviation firefighting services.
Emergency response capabilities include vehicle extrication, high-angle rescue, inshore and inland search-and-rescue, medical assistance, and hazardous materials management.
The fire service enforces fire and life safety standards through the Fire Prevention Unit’s compliance inspections, educating the public on fire prevention, and plays a crucial role in hurricane preparedness and response.
Firefighters undergo continuous professional development to stay current with the latest techniques and technologies, ensuring effective and efficient emergency response.
The Cayman Islands Fire Service operates under the Ministry of District Administration & Home Affairs and is led by a chief fire officer.
Contact:
t: 949-1188 (West Bay), 949-2499 (George Town), 947-3248 (North Side), 948-1245 (Cayman Brac), 916-6090 (Little Cayman)
e: [email protected]
Cayman Islands National Weather Service
The Meteorological Office was established in the early 1980s under the Civil Aviation Authority, with the responsibility for the monitoring of meteorological events and provision of meteorological information.
In 2010 it was officially recognised as the Cayman Islands National Weather Service. Operations include an upper-air station, surface weather observations, climatology, forecasting and aviation weather briefing.
Contact:
t: 945-5773 or 943-7070 ext. 5829
w: weather.gov.ky
Cayman Islands Red Cross
The Red Cross is the largest volunteer-based humanitarian organisation in the world. The Cayman Islands Red Cross has approximately 200 people serving as core volunteers, with 150 people joining its efforts throughout the year. All volunteers undergo numerous training programmes to be able to offer their services to the community.
The Cayman Islands Red Cross headquarters are situated on Huldah Avenue, George Town. The building also houses its thrift store, shelter and training facilities. Its administration location is at Cayman Corporate Centre on Hospital Road.
Contact:
t: 949-6785
e: [email protected]/[email protected]
Cayman Islands Regiment
The Cayman Islands Regiment strengthens national resilience and supports civil authorities across the Cayman Islands.
As a predominantly reservist military unit, its members undergo extensive training in five core capabilities, ensuring readiness to respond effectively to a wide range of crises, including:
- Humanitarian assistance and disaster response
- Urban search and rescue
- Medical aid
- Security
- General duties
Operating under the Office of the Commissioner of Police, the regiment responds to major incidents including natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods, environmental health hazards, and public safety emergencies. During large-scale weather events, it provides critical support through the delivery of essential supplies, medical assistance, logistics coordination, and infrastructure repair, alongside broader emergency response efforts.
Contact:
t: 926-6367
e: [email protected]
Community Emergency Response Teams
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) are volunteer groups trained to recognise, respond to, and help communities recover from major emergencies or disasters. They provide immediate support when professional responders might be delayed.
CERT volunteers receive training in basic disaster response skills, including fire safety, light search-and-rescue, disaster medical operations, and community vulnerability analysis.
During emergencies, CERT teams provide critical support to first responders, offer immediate assistance to victims, provide damage assessment information, and collect disaster intelligence.
The CERT programme is a partnership between Hazard Management Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands Red Cross, and the Cayman Islands Fire Service.
The programme is open to anyone interested in making Cayman’s communities safer and better prepared.
Contact:
Hazard Management Cayman Islands
t: 945-4624
e: [email protected]
w: caymanprepared.ky
Department of Public Safety Communications
The Department of Public Safety Communications operates the Cayman Islands Public Safety Communications Centre, providing round-the-clock emergency and non-emergency call-handling, emergency dispatch services, life-saving prearrival instructions, and first responder coordination and safety.
The Public Safety Communications Centre also serves as the nation’s tsunami warning focal point, supporting the immediate dissemination of warnings in coordination with Hazard Management Cayman Islands.
Operating within the Ministry of District Administration & Home Affairs, the Department of Public Safety Communications also oversees the Electronic Monitoring Centre, which manages the electronic monitoring of offenders and the monitoring and operation of CCTV cameras under the National CCTV Programme.
In addition, the department is responsible for the National Public Safety Radio Communications System used across the public safety sector, including radio frequency communications system maintenance, emergency telecommunications management, seismic monitoring, and incident management.
Contact:
t: 949-9008
w: gov.ky/web/mdaha/psc
Hazard Management Cayman Islands
Hazard Management Cayman Islands is the government agency responsible for coordinating national preparedness, response, and recovery efforts for all types of natural and human-made hazards.
Established under the Disaster Preparedness and Hazard Management Act (2019), the agency serves the entire community, including residents, businesses, and government entities, by ensuring a structured and effective approach to disaster risk reduction and emergency management.
Hazard Management oversees the National Emergency Notification System (NENS) app, which provides timely alerts and critical information to the public during emergencies. The agency also manages the Disaster Fund, which supports recovery efforts following major events.
As the coordinating agency for disaster management, Hazard Management works closely with local, regional and international partners to conduct training, facilitate exercises, maintain public shelters, and build community resilience.
Through strategic planning and active engagement, Hazard Management plays a vital role in safeguarding lives, property, and the continuity of national operations.
Contact:
t: 945-4624
e: [email protected]
w: caymanprepared.ky
Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability
The Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability is responsible for policy direction, strategic oversight, and performance accountability across the government’s health, environmental management, and sustainability portfolios.
The ministry works to achieve a balanced approach to development by advancing environmental stewardship, social well-being, and economic prosperity, ensuring that the benefits across these three pillars reinforce one another and improve the quality of life for all.
Bringing together healthcare, environmental management and climate resilience under one portfolio, the ministry develops and implements policies and initiatives to ensure safe, healthy communities now and for future generations.
The ministry is responsible for six departments and two Statutory Authorities and Government Companies: the Department of Health Regulatory Services, the Department of Counselling Services, Poinciana Rehabilitation Centre, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit, the Department of Environment, and the Department of Environmental Health, as well as the Health Services Authority and the National Drug Council.
Contact:
t: 949-7900
e: [email protected]
w: gov.ky/web/mhes
National Emergency Operations Centre
The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) serves as the central hub for coordinating the response for disaster management, encompassing mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.
The NEOC is coordinated by Hazard Management Cayman Islands and is located at the airport fire station. It is equipped with radios, telephones, computers, satellite telephones, maps and charts to assist in the response process.
Government agencies, nongovernmental organisations, private entities and personnel involved in the national response mechanism assemble at the NEOC to coordinate and direct the response efforts.
Hazard Management activates the operations centre when there is a perceived national threat or a need for a coordinated national response to an emergency or disaster.
Contact:
t: 949-6555 (available when activated)
Royal Cayman Islands Police Service
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is a single, national police service with a unified command structure. It is an unarmed service, with an armed response capability, that is mandated by statute to deliver the full range of police services across the Cayman Islands and its territorial waters.
Officers and personnel work in a variety of roles, including emergency response, road and marine safety and enforcement, child protection, criminal investigation, intelligence, drug and firearm interdiction, border security, community outreach, finance and administration, and many others.
Contact:
t: 911 for emergencies. Check website for district police station phone numbers.
w: rcips.ky
Public Health
As part of the Health Services Authority, the Public Health department’s remit is to promote, protect and improve the health and safety of the people of the Cayman Islands.
- Public Health programmes include:
- Health advice and vaccines for international travellers
- School health, including primary care, health assessments, vision and hearing tests etc.
- Nutrition and dietary counselling clinics
- Child health, including growth and development monitoring
- Communicable disease screening
- Disease control programmes, including surveillance, immunisations (adults and children)
- Special programmes relating to genetics and sexual health
- Smoking cessation programme
Contact:
t: 949-8600
w: hsa.ky/public-health
This article originally appeared in Compass Media’s 2026 Emergency Guide.
Related Videos
