What is the key difference between PublicSafetyAPI and Nominatim?

PublicSafetyAPI belongs to the Location Services category with local stdio execution, while Nominatim belongs to the Location Services category with local stdio execution.

How do I install PublicSafetyAPI or Nominatim in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are PublicSafetyAPI and Nominatim free or paid?

PublicSafetyAPI operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Nominatim operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

PublicSafetyAPI lists 6 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Nominatim lists 3 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both PublicSafetyAPI and Nominatim together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

PublicSafetyAPI vs Nominatim

In-depth architectural comparison of the PublicSafetyAPI and Nominatim MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

PublicSafetyAPI

Location Services · Local stdio

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Nominatim

Location Services · Local stdio

Quality: 53/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose PublicSafetyAPI if you need specialized Location Services tools running via a local process. Choose Nominatim if your workspace requires Location Services integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose PublicSafetyAPI when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Location Services domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY.
Primary tools included: find_stations_near_address, find_stations_near_coordinates, get_station.

Explore PublicSafetyAPI Details

Choose Nominatim when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Location Services domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: search_address, reverse_geocode, lookup.

Explore Nominatim Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	PublicSafetyAPI Location Services	Nominatim Location Services
Summary	US police, fire, EMS and hospital locations near any address, from federal HIFLD data	Nominatim MCP — wraps OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoding API (free, no auth)
Category & Scope	Location Services	Location Services
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

PublicSafetyAPI Tools (6)

find_stations_near_address

Find the nearest facilities to a US street address

find_stations_near_coordinates

Same, but from a lat/lng (skips geocoding)

get_station

Full record for one facility by ID

list_stations

List/search facilities by type, state, name, or ZIP

get_jurisdiction

Which city/town (or county, if unincorporated) contains a location, and which agencies of one type likely serve it

get_state_summary

Facility counts by type for a state

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

PublicSafetyAPI Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "publicsafetyapi": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "publicsafetyapi-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY": "YOUR_PUBLICSAFETYAPI_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Nominatim Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nominatim": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pipeworx/mcp-nominatim"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

PublicSafetyAPI is categorized under Location Services and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Nominatim belongs to Location Services using local stdio subprocess. Select PublicSafetyAPI when you need capabilities focused on location services and Nominatim when you require tools for location services.