Emergency management specialists are some of the crucial behind-the-scenes professionals who coordinate responses to natural disasters. These are the people who are responsible for designing emergency response plans, and for working with firefighters, police, and other individuals to carry out these plans. Emergency management training specialists train people in their organization on disaster and emergency preparedness.
Emergency Management Training Specialist Overview
When natural disasters or serious situations like the September 11 attacks occur, emergency management specialists go into action to handle the devastating results. These people may be called upon in the event of a range of natural, technological, war-related, or criminal activities, such as:
- Hostage negotiations
- Acts of God, such as floods and earthquakes
- Hazardous material spills
- Terrorist attacks
Those who work for emergency services groups must be able to perform crisis management services, search and rescues, clean up, evacuations, and anything that is required, with the assistance of experts in law enforcement, medical fields, and other related fields.
They must be familiar with all the local policies and procedures for their area, the equipment available and the basics of what it does, the personnel, and other resources.
On a personal level, if you want to be an emergency management training specialist, you must be able to function under high stress situations. People will look to you for instruction under the most serious circumstances, and that might include other emergency management personnel.
Education
Emergency management specialists are individuals with a bachelor’s degree and usually one to five years of experience. There are a few degrees besides an emergency management degree that can prepare you for this field, such as:
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Business
- Public Administration
People who work as emergency management training specialists often have experience working with government agencies at some level, and have demonstrated competency in their jobs and in working with people.
Some employers may also require certification. The National Incident Management System certifies people for disaster response. Online classes are available.
Employers
Many people who work in this field are employed in the public sector. However, both state and local governments hire emergency management training specialists. Divisions of law enforcement and the military also need people who coordinate emergency responses.
Many people find work in major cities, but some people do handle emergency management in rural areas. There is a lot of variety for people in this field, and the types of disasters can vary greatly depending upon where you work and who you work for.
A job in emergency preparedness is a satisfying career that lets you not only help many people, but also to train others who will go and help more people. It is also financially rewarding, with wages at around $30 or more per hour. According to U.S. News & World Report, the average salary in 2009 was around $53,000, but in the higher paid areas, like California, the average annual salary was $78,650.