CAREER

Emergency Management Directors

Overview

Salary Median (2020)

$83,960

Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)

+2.5% (slower than the average)

Career

What Emergency Management Directors Do

Plan and direct 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 or hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.

Other Job Titles Emergency Management Directors May Have

911 Communications Manager, Emergency Management Coordinator, Emergency Management Director, Emergency Management System Director (EMS Director), Emergency Manager, Emergency Planner, Emergency Preparedness Manager, Emergency Services Director, Emergency Services Program Coordinator, Public Safety Director

How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work

Watch Desk Officer ,

Indiana Department of Homeland Security

As an Emergency Preparation Coordinator (Watch Desk) for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, my main responsibilities are providing a common operating picture and maintain situational awareness on incidents that may have an impact on public safety. I receive requests for the arson division, department of environmental management, and radiation division. I also create weather assessments and storm summaries for severe weather events. I am on call 24/7 in the case of an emergency.

Disaster Program Manager ,

American Red Cross

Every day is different, but you won't be sitting behind a desk or married to a phone for more than 2 hours at a time. Depending on your territory, you could spend a lot of time traveling.


Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

  • 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.
  • Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
  • Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.

This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.