The majority of emergency management degrees are designed for current emergency services personnel and standards. Below explains more about these degree programs and how they are officially updated.
Resource: Top 10 Best Online Emergency Management Degree Programs
FEMA
FEMA is the leading authority on programs that teach students how to manage different types of emergencies. FEMA has a National Training and Education (NTE) program that is divided into three educational subprograms: the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), the National Training and Education Division (NTED) and the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). The CDP is the federal government’s training center that is officially sanctioned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The NTED offers local emergency response personnel on-site training classes in over 150 topics. The EMI maintains official emergency response training curricula and standards. Accredited degrees for managing emergencies should be based on EMI’s education and curriculum guidelines.
Additional Accreditation
Depending on the type of emergency specialization, the college degree program should have additional accreditation. For instance, fire departments are accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). Police departments are certified by the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Medical emergency response organizations are accredited by the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHC). Emergency managerial programs are certified by the Emergencies Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) or the Council for Accreditation of Emergency Managements Education (CAEME). In addition to this, there are also state and regional emergency response organizations that provide their stamp of approval to college degree programs.
Common Certifications
In addition to a degree, many emergency response graduates obtain certification through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). Most employers expect any supervisor working in the field of emergency services to obtain the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) credential. In order to quality, the candidate must have direct emergency managerial experience, a bachelor’s degree, 100 hours of management and advanced emergency training and demonstrable extracurricular activities, such as professional memberships or published articles. The CEM exam contains 100 multiple choice questions and can be taken at local schools and military installations as well as by pre-approved proctors.
Sample Degree Programs
An degree for emergency managers should include every skill and proficiency that emergency services personnel will need to excel in their positions. This will include prevention classes that teach how to mitigate or avoid the loss of life and property damage through hazards identification and risk assessments. Next, preparedness classes will introduces plans and systems designed to save lives and minimize damage if an emergency occurs. Response classes will teach how to properly manage emergency incidents and protect life, property and the environment. These are the most important classes because they impart the strategies and protocols need to establish an incident command system and organize personnel and resources. Finally, recovery classes will explore how to restore normalcy and functionality with people, businesses and infrastructure systems.
Emergency services personnel can verify that their emergency management degree is current through reviewing the private and government organizations that approve the program in question.
Additional Reading: 20 Top Emergency Management Bachelor’s Degree Programs under $23,000 Average Net