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Disaster preparedness & response

Emergency Management Director

Planning for the day everything fails at once.

Typical pay

$65k-$120k

How you get in

Degree plus FEMA certifications and response experience

Outlook

Growing; disaster frequency is driving investment

Emergency managers plan for and coordinate response to disasters. Most of the work is planning, exercises and grant administration; the activations are rare, intense and the reason the job exists.

A day in the life

  1. 8:00aReview weather threats and situational reports
  2. 9:30aUpdate the hazard mitigation plan
  3. 11:00aCoordinate a multi-agency training exercise
  4. 1:00pLunch
  5. 2:00pGrant administration and reporting
  6. 4:00pPublic preparedness briefing with community partners

How to get in

Emergency management degree

Duration

4 years

Cost

$40,000-$150,000

Credential

Bachelor's plus FEMA professional development series

  1. Complete a degree in emergency management, public administration or homeland security
  2. Complete FEMA independent study and professional development courses
  3. Start as an emergency management coordinator or planner
  4. Pursue Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) designation

Public safety into emergency management

Duration

5-10 years

Cost

$0-$40,000

Credential

Response experience plus FEMA credentials

  1. Work in fire, EMS, law enforcement or public health
  2. Take on incident command and planning responsibilities
  3. Complete FEMA and ICS training progressively
  4. Move into a dedicated emergency management position

Private sector business continuity

Duration

3-7 years

Cost

$2,000-$10,000

Credential

CBCP or CEM certification

  1. Build emergency management or risk experience
  2. Move into corporate business continuity and crisis management
  3. Hospitals, utilities and large employers all staff these roles
  4. Private sector pay generally exceeds local government

What people love

  • · Genuinely consequential public service
  • · Stable government employment
  • · Coordination across every agency and sector
  • · Growing field as disasters increase in frequency

What wears people down

  • · Activations mean around-the-clock work for days
  • · Heavy grant paperwork and compliance
  • · Success is invisible; failure is catastrophic and public
  • · Political pressure during and after events

From people doing it

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