PublicSafetyAPI — Claude Code MCP server: how to install
Look up US police stations, fire departments, EMS stations, and hospitals by address or coordinates. Useful for mapping public safety infrastructure in AI agents.
claude mcp add publicsafetyapi-mcp -e PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY=<PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY> -- uvx publicsafetyapi-mcpWhat PublicSafetyAPI does
This MCP server links US federal emergency service records directly to your coding assistant. It taps into public domain data from HIFLD, USFA, and CMS across four categories: police, fire, EMS, and hospitals.
The server exposes tools to locate facilities by street address (find_stations_near_address) or coordinates (find_stations_near_coordinates), retrieve specific facility details by ID (get_station), filter by ZIP code or state (list_stations), inspect local jurisdictions (get_jurisdiction), and pull state-level aggregates (get_state_summary).
Running the tools requires a valid PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY passed via environment variables, otherwise requests fail. The free tier covers 500 queries per month without requiring payment card details.
What it helps with
- locate emergency stations near a specific US street address
- retrieve hospital bed counts and trauma center designations
- determine which emergency agencies serve a specific town or county
- aggregate public safety facility counts across an entire US state
Example prompts for the agent
- Find the nearest fire station to 350 Fifth Ave, New York
- List hospitals located in Montana that operate a trauma center
- Show all emergency facilities near coordinates 30.2672, -97.7431
How to install PublicSafetyAPI
Platform CLI
claude mcp add publicsafetyapi-mcp -e PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY=<PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY> -- uvx publicsafetyapi-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from publicsafetyapi-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
codex mcp add publicsafetyapi --env PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY=<PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY> -- uvx publicsafetyapi-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from publicsafetyapi-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"publicsafetyapi": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"publicsafetyapi-mcp"
],
"env": {
"PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY": "<PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from publicsafetyapi-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"servers": {
"publicsafetyapi": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"publicsafetyapi-mcp"
],
"env": {
"PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY": "<PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from publicsafetyapi-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY=<PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY> publicsafetyapi uvx publicsafetyapi-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from publicsafetyapi-mcp <command>
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about PublicSafetyAPI
How do I install PublicSafetyAPI in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add publicsafetyapi-mcp -e PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY=<PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY> -- uvx publicsafetyapi-mcp in your terminal.
What data sources does PublicSafetyAPI use?
It queries public US federal datasets from HIFLD, USFA, and CMS. The records include street addresses, coordinates, phone numbers, and hospital specifications.
Do I need an API key to run this server?
Yes, configure the PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY environment variable. The free plan provides 500 requests each month with no card required.
