Emergency Management Directors
Emergency management directors plan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies or hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.
An emergency manager is an emergency management specialist who plans and leads the response to natural disasters or other emergencies. Their work aims to minimize damage to people and property. They usually work with government or other officials, non-profit organizations, public safety officials and disaster specialists while planning and responding to situations.
An emergency management director's job description includes communicating key information about emergencies, preparing situation status reports, coordinating disaster response, developing and maintaining liaisons with relevant bodies, applying for funding, consulting specialists, hosting or attending meetings or conferences, performing tests, reviewing emergency plans, training other emergency managers, providing assistance and preparing instructions materials or manuals.
Emergency management specialists need at least a bachelor’s degree in public health, public administration, business administration, finance or related field. Knowledge in the fields of IT and engineering is also useful. One needs some experience working in public administration and disaster planning before working as an emergency manager.
Emergency managers jobs are typically found in the government, hospitals, large industries, universities, research companies and emergency response agencies. Some industries or locations may require specific licenses or certifications. One should have technical knowledge in scientific and geographic software and systems to earn a good director of emergency management salary.
To be successful, one must have planning, problem-solving, coordination, monitoring, evaluations, service orientation and decision-making skills.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- Ph.D. Disaster Management
- M.A. Disaster Management
- Bachelor's Any Subject
- Diploma Disaster Management
Tasks
- Keep informed of activities or changes that could affect the likelihood of an emergency, as well as those that could affect response efforts and details of plan implementation.
- Prepare plans that outline operating procedures to be used in response to disasters or emergencies, such as hurricanes, nuclear accidents, and terrorist attacks, and in recovery from these events.
- Propose alteration of emergency response procedures based on regulatory changes, technological changes, or knowledge gained from outcomes of previous emergency situations.
- Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
- Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs.
- Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
- Keep informed of federal, state, and local regulations affecting emergency plans and ensure that plans adhere to these regulations.
- Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
- Design and administer emergency or disaster preparedness training courses that teach people how to effectively respond to major emergencies and disasters.
- Inspect facilities and equipment, such as emergency management centers and communications equipment, to determine their operational and functional capabilities in emergency situations.
Progression Routes
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