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Emergency Management Specialist

Overview and Key Facts

Americorps emergency management team
Education
Education
Bachelor's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$86,130
Job Growth
Job Growth
3.00%
(US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
13,600

What Do They Do?

An emergency management specialist could...

 
Hurricane evacuation route sign
Ensure emergency evacuation routes are set up to provide safe escapes and reduce traffic.
food and water stacked up to be distributed for hurricane Sandy relief
Coordinate the delivery of food, water, and medical supplies to areas hit hard by a natural disaster.
emergency tent
Make sure agencies are in place to set up temporary shelters for victims of a tornado.
flooded building and car
Help communities apply for federal funds to manage severe flood emergencies.
 
Hurricane evacuation route sign food and water stacked up to be distributed for hurricane Sandy relief emergency tent flooded building and car

Overview Listen to this section

There will always be both man-made and natural disasters, like hurricanes, earthquakes, and terrorist attacks, that affect public health and safety. Emergency management specialists are the officials that plan for these disasters—imagining and preparing for the worst—and then coordinating the emergency responses. Emergency management specialists work for local, state, and federal governments, as well as for law enforcement, the military and private agencies to ensure that people have the basic necessities, like clean water, food, temporary housing, sanitation, and first aid in a timely manner after a disaster. They also coordinate clean-up efforts. Emergency management specialists prevent or ease the human suffering, as well as the social chaos and instability that commonly follow a disaster.
Watch this video to see how emergency management specialists coordinate responses to disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, or acts of terrorism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAk1LYtEJtU

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of an Emergency Management Specialist?


  1. Service Orientation: ?
  2. Complex Problem Solving: ?
  3. Speaking: ?
  4. Coordination: ?
  5. Social Perceptiveness: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks an Emergency Management Specialist might do:
  • Consult with officials of local and area governments, schools, hospitals, and other institutions to determine their needs and capabilities in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.
  • Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
  • Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs.
  • Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
  • Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
  • 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.
  • Develop and perform tests and evaluations of emergency management plans in accordance with state and federal regulations.
  • Collaborate with other officials to prepare and analyze damage assessments following disasters or emergencies.
  • 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.
  • Keep informed of activities or changes that could affect the likelihood of an emergency, response efforts, or plan implementation.
  • Keep informed of federal, state, and local regulations affecting emergency plans, and ensure that plans adhere to those regulations.
  • Review emergency plans of individual organizations, such as medical facilities, to ensure their adequacy.
  • Conduct surveys to determine the types of emergency-related needs to be addressed in disaster planning, or provide technical support to others conducting such surveys.
  • Attend meetings, conferences, and workshops related to emergency management to learn new information and to develop working relationships with other emergency management specialists.
  • Propose alteration of emergency response procedures, based on regulatory changes, technological changes, or knowledge gained from outcomes of previous emergency situations.
  • Develop instructional materials for the public and make presentations to citizens' groups to provide information on emergency plans and their implementation processes.
  • Apply for federal funding for emergency-management-related needs, and administer and report on the progress of such grants.
  • Train local groups in the preparation of long-term plans that are compatible with federal and state plans.
  • Provide communities with assistance in applying for federal funding for emergency management facilities, radiological instrumentation, and related items.
  • Study emergency plans used elsewhere to gather information for plan development.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state
No data available for some states (white on the map)

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Emergency Management Specialist Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Emergency Management Specialist jobs (3.00%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming an Emergency Management Specialist

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Bachelor's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

The first step toward becoming an emergency management specialist is to earn a bachelor's degree. Local, state, federal, and private agency emergency management jobs will require at least a bachelor's degree in emergency management, environmental science, public safety, public administration, business management or a related field.

By researching emergency management and related job postings prior to graduation on the IAEM and FEMA websites, you can learn more about specific jobs and their requirements. Management level and director level jobs will require several years of related work experience in addition to education, but in some cases a master's degree will replace or reduce the the relevant work experience requirement.

The terror attacks on 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the threat of future terrorist attacks and flu pandemic threats have created a high demand for professionals that are formally trained in emergency management, as well as an overall awareness of the need for such professionals at all levels. This demand has been met by a number of colleges and universities that are now offering emergency management degree programs.

Companies That Hire Emergency Management Specialists

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Nature of the Work

Emergency management specialists coordinate 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, hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations. They plan and coordinate emergency responses, analyze vulnerability, assess consequence management capability, develop budgets and strategic plans, understand Homeland Security and Emergency Management initiatives, and work with public and private organizations to develop and implement emergency response policies and procedures. Emergency management specialists also often have the duty of coordinating and conducting public education programs, and coordinating and developing training exercises for emergency response agencies.

Work Environment

Emergency management specialists work overtime and irregular hours during crisis situations. Disaster situations are mentally and physically demanding.

More Information

Ask Questions

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