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Helping Others Through the Toughest of Times

Men and women who have been trained in emergency management are invaluable when disaster strikes and respondents are needed to help people quickly and efficiently. Professionals in disaster management are typically responsible for evacuating the people of a city that may be in danger, overseeing medical care, and managing the distribution of food to people in need.

Though most emergency management careers are in government, careers in the private sector are available. Earning a degree in emergency management can be helpful for those who want to work in law enforcement or become fire fighters or other protective service workers.

Individuals who are interested in this field can choose from degree or certificate programs in business, public policy, and emergency medical relief. Once they’ve received training and experience, degree holders can become hospital coordinators, emergency preparedness instructors, emergency program managers or directors, technical training supervisors, and a wide variety of other professionals who help others when a tornado, hurricane, or flood hits. Typically, emergency managers will find jobs with the government, schools, hospitals, nonprofit and volunteer organizations, and private businesses.

Although first-hand experience is the best method of developing the skills necessary for providing emergency management, potential employers see a degree in the field as quite valuable. A degree can provide you the technical knowledge – from general first aid to public finance – needed to secure a position as an emergency manager.

Traditional coursework is built on a foundation of emergency planning and risk assessment; you will likely also learn the following:

• Organization of people, information, and resources
• Leadership ability and development
• Disaster communication
• Crisis management
• Situation and risk analysis
• Strategic planning

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that in 2007, emergency management specialists earned an annual median salary of approximately $48,000. The BLS expects the job growth rate in this field to be fairly equal to the national growth rate.