There is a growing need for trained, proactive emergency management practitioners who can appropriately respond to threats that occur around the world, and emergency management conferences are where these professionals learn about the latest issues that impact their career field. These conferences prove beneficial to a variety of stakeholders that include emergency management program managers and specialists. Since the field of emergency management is an ever growing global profession, some of the available conferences are held at international venues. Conference topics cover the identification and mitigation of risks relating to natural disasters, medical epidemics, climate change issues and human caused accidents. Here are some popular conferences that emergency management professionals can attend to remain informed, hone their skills and network with other leaders in their field.
National Emergency Management Association Annual Forum
The National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) leads the way for dissemination of emergency management information, issues and regulatory changes at the federal and regional levels for emergency managers. The organization holds two conferences each year; one is called the Annual Forum, and the other is the mid-year symposium. While the mid-year symposium is held every winter in the District of Columbia, the annual conference is held in a different location each year. Attendees at NEMA’s Annual Forum get first hand knowledge about new governmental policies that will affect their organizations, and they get to hear how current policies are impacting organizations around the nation. The conference schedule includes committee meetings, professional development workshops, exhibits and networking opportunities. Congressional members, executive administration staff and federal agency representatives are regularly in attendance.
World Congress on Infectious Diseases
While program managers in certain emergency management agencies can find benefit from the conference on infectious diseases, the event is designed to share knowledge with specialist emergency management professionals whose jobs relate to the prevention and control of infectious diseases. Some previous conference topics have focused on bacteriology, flu strains and rare diseases like the Ebola virus that recently ravaged West Africa. World Congress on Infectious Diseases conferences highlight the characteristics of diseases that pose great risks, regions where disease is most prominent, regions where disease is likely to immediately spread and best practices for safeguarding communities against illnesses. Emergency management specialists can use the information from the conference to generate plans to properly transport, treat and quarantine infectious disease victims. The latest World Congress on Infectious Diseases conference was held in London.
Transportation Disaster Response-Family Assistance
Many emergencies in major cities across the world are caused by vehicular accidents. For example, a large oil tanker that is driving on a highway can malfunction, catch fire and destroy the lives of those who are driving alongside it in cars. The Transportation Disaster Response conference provides emergency managers and transportation officials information about how to plan to help families get through traumatic events that involve transportation disasters and man-made accidents. At the event’s end, attendees know how to get personnel trained for improved grief counseling, and they also learn how to forge stronger and more effective lines of communication among various agencies.
Conclusion
Emergency management covers a number of activities that are used to help communities, regions and nations to prepare for potentially devastating disasters. Emergency management conferences give practitioners insight into the latest professional best practices to plan, respond to and recover from all types of disasters.