What do you do if you believe starting a career in Emergency Management is easy and straightforward?

In my opinion, emergency management is a holistic field. It’s about what happens before, during, and after an ‘emergency’ and needs to be looked at from each domain of social, environment, economic, and infrastructure perspectives. It’s not just front line responders, but so many other key personnel who need to be involved, starting with those at risk. It’s looks at natural hazards but also man made disasters.

Emergency Management is the ability to deal multiple life treating decisions in various environments .The decision making process should include the STOPP principle Stop Think Organise Plan and Proceed after initial assessment .

Se préparer à faire face à l’imprévisible Savoir prioriser Savoir prendre du recul pour réévaluer la situation et l’efficacité des premières mesures.

Preparation for Major Incident, significant incident, complex incident and critical incident. All of which have situations which require planning, preparedness and good governance.

Emergency Management is not a job of managing the situation on its arrival. Emergency management begins as you understand the nuances of disasters and hazards of any type. It takes years to be resilient, to mitigate the after effects of the disasters and hazards. If I may say Emergency Management be scheduled in three stages 1. Preparatory stage- planning, training, practice, skill development, awareness, infrastructure building, volunteer identification and training, rehearsals and many more activities to be done and the plans has to be developed, maintained and implemented as on going process for effective mitigation of any adverse situation. The plans, SOPs and checklists be regularly updated.

Emergency Management is 99% procedural, analytical and training based activities coupled with 1% action. However, this 1% can bring a small event or one of the largest incidents you could have ever imagined….it’s like that! Senior level practitioners in EM realize quite early in their careers that they are always on-call even when they are not on-call. Being called away in a major incident which can last days, weeks months or even years takes a very specific personality who handle the contact pressure, demands and challenges and roll with the punches. Adaptability is key (and with a sense of humour which is often quite dark and deliberate).

In my experience one of the biggest challenges we need to overcome is coordination. With so many stakeholders involved a robust governance and decision making framework is critical. The legislation, policies and practices within emergency management are complex and not well understood, even from within the sector.

It is always tricky when Emergency Management topic is discussed. The main challenge is to understand to existing risk at the place we operate. It is mot always straightforward to declare that we are fully prepared. Understand your surroundings support always a key for an effective response. I conducted an emergency drill including major exercises but I would never claim to be ready. So to be an Emergency Management personnel. Be alert of an existing risk at the place you operate and plan for an worst case scenarios.

Actually, in my point of view, the challenges of an emergency management person are: - Low salary: usually, this position belong to government agency or a administration department or a HSE team; all of them are low paid working position - Dangerous: some rescue actions are very dangerous, especially in the disasters like flood or storm; or dicease - Lack of professional traning or education - This job requires a good health and strength, which is available only when we are young - The career path is very short; only maximum to emergency manager; that make this job is not attractive - We have not enough people in our team, sometimes those people have different full-time roles and only join the team in case of emergency.

Fondamental challenges during Emergencies coukd be: a) To strictly follow the procedures b) Be methodical against the time element of how the emergency situation is progressing. Personilized perspectives shall not be taken into account during emergency response.

Emergency management is not just about technical skills, such as hazard analysis, risk assessment, contingency planning, incident command, and crisis communication. It also requires soft skills, such as leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. Emergency managers need to be able to communicate effectively with different audiences, such as policymakers, media, public, and affected populations. They need to be able to manage stress, cope with trauma, and deal with compassion fatigue. They need to be able to adapt to changing situations, learn from mistakes, and improve their

These are good skill sets, but a general summary of skills is not as valuable as looking at the technical and soft skills needed by specific roles. One generic skillset alone should come with caution. This is also an area of continuous learning.

Hard and soft sills are deffinetly required. Apart of the obvious hard skills, the soft skills will make the difference. Calmness, time management, decision making under enormous time and psychological pressure, sound judgement, methodical approach, could be some of the soft skills

Common sense Understand of risk Good understanding on the CCA 2024 Experience of an effective command structure Communication Bigger picture thinking Work well under pressure

Emergency management necessitates robust planning skills and foresight. This entails creating comprehensive plans tailored to various hazards, anticipating worst-case scenarios, and devising strategies to mitigate risks. Foresight involves envisioning potential challenges and considering contingencies to ensure preparedness for unforeseen circumstances. Embracing Murphy's Law underscores the importance of planning for unexpected events, reinforcing the need for thorough preparation and proactive measures.

These classes are often required classes for whatever position you are interested in. I call them the Hundred classes: IS 100, IS 200, IS 300, IS 400, IS 700, IS 800. These classes can be found on FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute’s website. EMI also has many other classes that you may be interested in.

Attended course at the Emergency Planning College. Learn about different types of incidents such as CBRN, Mass Casualty, adverse weather and how it can impact the community. Or what is likely to impact the industry you work in.

Start with the Incident Command System (ICS) as a framework; there are different types of emergencies - but you can always use ICS concepts.

About half of emergency management specialists hold a bachelor's degree in related fields such as public health, business management or emergency management, knowledge of NFPA Standard and code , knowledge about ISO , knowledge about OSHA Regulations,

Education requirements for emergency management range widely depending on what field you may want to join. There are many colleges and universities that offer emergency management degrees. You can also find supplemental courses and classes to further your education through governmental websites. Not all jobs in emergency management may need or require a degree specified in emergency management, but may look for something in business, communication, human resources and more. You may have to do some research to find what fits you.

The career opportunities in emergency management are plentiful, and job duties can vary. It is not just a government position by any means. Universities and colleges, K-12 schools, public health departments/hospitals, AAA, Walmart, Home Depot all have EM positions. Then there are positions such as crisis management, business continuity, etc. to consider. If you are in a program in college, find an internship. That way you can try out an opportunity you think you want to go into and find out if it is really what you thought it would be. Good luck!

Minha experiência com Gest?o de Emergência me fez perceber que os caminhos se abrem para oportunidades em treinamentos, viagens, intercambio e troca de experiências com empresas e entidades acadêmicas e crescimento profissional, ent?o julgo os benefícios que tive como um bom exemplo para quem quer iniciar na carreira de gest?o de emergências.

Career opportunities in Emergency Management are largely limited to the parts of the world that follow an "Anglo-American" approach. Only there can one find 'Emergency Management' as an independent discipline with professional certification. Without it, it is difficult to speak of a "careerpath"...

Emergency management can be found to almost all of the professions. Apart the obvious i.e. Fire and Rescue, there is great variety of actions that require emergency managers depending to the indetified related Hazards. Aviation industry, Financial and Banking industry, Chemical industry, IT&T, construction businesses to name few.

One of the most impactful and appealing aspects considering a career in EM is the range and flexibility of options you can take advantage of at any stage of your life. From part time volunteer to see if it’s a good fit to full time leader of critical activities some roles include Emergency Management roles from Specialist to Director Job Description: EM specialists assist their directors in preparation, mitigation and response activities; collect and analyze data for planning purposes, support training programs and communications. Homeland Security Agent Security Officer Safety Coordinator Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Disaster Recovery Coordinator Many great sources out there check out Doug Wintemute from Forbes

To begin a career in emergency management, you can choose many options, based on your background and networking: - Public sector: government agencies as fire-fighter or CDC officer - Private sector: risk management officer; HSE officer, business continuity officer; security team - Volunteer actitives: find some groups or programs which have free educations and activities - Learning from online courses: it's very easy to find related courses from Coursera, or many online education platform; some of them are free or have certifitcate; which help you to apply for job. - There is another way that you apply for a bachelor or master degree in emergency or disaster management, and after graduate, the university will introduce you for a job

Para iniciar na carreira de emergência, é muito importante que o profissional adquira habilidades de constru??o de planos, comunica??o acertiva, metodologias de Continuidade de negócios e Gest?o de crises. Mas o mais importante é trazer elementos como, saber trabalhar em equipe, lealdade, integridade, honestidade e coragem, n?o a coragem de fazer algo mirabolante, mas coragem em dizer a verdade, n?o ceder a chantagens, n?o cair na tenta??o dos “prazeres que possam oferecem troca do seu silêncio!” Essa é a dica!

Make sure you have a history of first responder experience first! Do not think that just a degree or knowledge qualifies you!

Are you a "critical thinker"? Do you have the capability to understand the larger picture(s), the mosaic of a situation? Can you handle the strategic without getting lost in the tactical? Can you delegate the tactical to those best qualified to handle "what's hot now"? Can you respond with efficiency without being emotional? Do others naturally look at you as the eye of the storm when things go wrong? Can you shift from one problem to the next without losing track? Can you see a solution when others see a problem? Can you identify critical over important, important over "the council said"? Can you give clear guidance/instructions and then get out of the way for the work to be done? If "Yes" is not the only answer given - look elsewhere.

Starting a career in Emergency Management is all of what’s said and more. You have to be a people person. You have to care about taking care of people’s needs and the needs of communities. You can’t treat everyone the same or communities the same because they are all unique with different needs. It’s about knowing and building relationships, cultures, languages, jobs, sustainability, environmental, development, education, future, growth, etc. of the people and their community. The title encompasses A LOT more responsibilities than its meaning. You’re are the face they see on their worst day!

Is this your calling? That is the ultimate question one needs to ask themselves before venturing down the pathway of emergency management. Sacrifice? Where do I begin. This is not a "woe is me" approach, no far from it. Time, money, relationships will all become second and third class in your world. Birthdays missed, holidays canceled, and at the drop of a hat you're heading into work because someone is in need. If you need stability then steer clear. If you want to have an impact, a real impact in the lives of people then a life of service is what you seek.

Emergency management is the process of planning, coordinating, and implementing actions to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies. Emergency managers work with various stakeholders, such as government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private sector, and communities, to reduce risks, enhance resilience, and protect lives and property. Emergency management covers a wide range of hazards, such as natural disasters, terrorism, pandemics, cyberattacks, and civil unrest.

In my experience, I've witnessed the challenges Japan faces in disaster management, particularly in rural areas where the elderly population is high and infrastructure is often inadequate. Similarly, residing in wildfire-prone regions like California has taught me the significance of harnessing natural elements to effectively combat such disasters. Embracing a harmonious relationship with the environment not only enhances disaster management but also fosters resilience. Furthermore, the importance of a well-prepared manual is underscored by the criticism directed at American police for their perceived lack of de-escalation skills. This highlights the crucial role of comprehensive training in handling crises with efficiency and tact.

One of the most valuable contributions that an emergency manager can make is to look at the various hazards that their organization may have to respond to, and look at the cost-benefit analysis for pre-event mitigations. Are there additional savings to be had - such as reduce insurance premiums - when a mitigation strategy is developed and deployed? Can technologies used for incident management be used elsewhere and support day-to-day activities - like putting all of those new EOC computers to use as an IT training room?

Your contacts within the emergency management industry will be your biggest assets. Build a professional network join associations such as the EPS or BCI ( others are available) and attend events.