What is the public-safety exception to Miranda warnings recognized in New York v. Quarles?

In the 1984 case New York v. Quarles, the Supreme Court established a "public-safety" exception to the requirements set forth in Miranda v. Arizona.

Under this exception, statements obtained from a suspect in police custody without the administration of the standard Miranda warning are admissible in a criminal trial, provided that the questions asked by the police were "reasonably prompted by a concern for the public safety." This ruling recognizes that in urgent situations where immediate action is required to protect the public or officers from an imminent threat, the procedural safeguards of the Fifth Amendment may be temporarily bypassed to address the danger.1