"Emergency response" looks very different depending on where you are, but by and large what it means is a system of homeless shelters, drop-ins, meal programs, outreach services and other activities provided by municipalities, non-profit and community organizations, and faith communities. In an ideal system, emergency responses would be designed to connect people experiencing crisis with the help and support they need to leave the streets, and facilitate their journey onward. 

The emergency response system is often not a single system at all, but rather the interaction between medical professionals and hospitals, law enforcement bodies, homelessness outreach workers, and the public.