Emergency management directors are in charge of planning, implementing, and overseeing emergency response plans to natural disasters and other types of emergencies. They serve as the leader in emergency response and are the main point person for crisis prevention.
The specific duties of an emergency management director involve hiring and training emergency staff, coordinating with government agencies and other organizations to obtain necessary funds, and maintaining facilities for emergencies. They also assess the aftermath of a catastrophe to improve current emergency response strategies and minimize the effects of the next disaster.
If you want to pursue the noble role of an emergency management director, you would need to have a bachelor's degree at the very minimum. Common majors for this role are business, disaster planning, and public administration. Moreover, you would need to accumulate many years of experience in the field of emergency planning, which may involve being on the field as an emergency respondent.
The average pay of an emergency management director is $178,000 per year. Considering their role in preventing the loss of life, infrastructure, and natural resources, this kind of compensation is only fair.
Emergency management directors prepare plans and procedures for responding to natural disasters and other emergencies. They also help lead the response during and after emergencies, often in coordination with public safety officials, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.
DutiesEmergency management directors typically do the following:
Emergency management directors are responsible for planning and leading the responses to natural disasters and other emergencies. Directors work with government agencies, nonprofits, private companies, and the general public to develop effective plans that minimize damage and disruptions during an emergency.
To develop emergency response plans, directors typically research “best practices” from around the country and from other emergency management agencies. Directors also must prepare plans and procedures that meet local, state, and federal regulations.
Directors must analyze the resources, equipment, and staff available to respond to emergencies. If resources or equipment are lacking, directors must either revise their plans or obtain the needed resources from another community or state. Many directors coordinate with fire, emergency medical service, police departments, and public works agencies in other communities to locate and share equipment during an emergency. Directors must be in contact with other agencies to collect and share information regarding the scope of the emergency, the potential costs, and the resources or staff needed.
After plans are developed, emergency management directors typically ensure that individuals and groups become familiar with the emergency procedures. Directors often use social media to disseminate plans and warnings to the general public.
Emergency management directors run training courses and disaster exercises for staff, volunteers, and local agencies to ensure an effective and coordinated response to an emergency. Directors also may visit schools, hospitals, or other community groups to update everyone on the emergency plans.
During an emergency, directors typically maintain a command center at which personnel monitor and manage the emergency operations. Directors help lead the response, making adjustments to or prioritizing certain actions if necessary. These actions may include ordering evacuations, conducting rescue missions, or opening up public shelters for those displaced by the disaster. Emergency management directors also may need to conduct press conferences or other outreach activities to keep the public informed about the emergency.
Following an emergency, directors must assess the damage to their community and must coordinate getting assistance and supplies into the community if necessary. Directors may need to request state or federal assistance to help execute their emergency response plan and provide support to effected citizens, organizations, and communities. Directors may also revise their plans and procedures to prepare for future emergencies or disasters.
Emergency management directors working for hospitals, universities, or private companies may be called business continuity managers. Similar to their counterparts in local and state government, business continuity managers prepare plans and procedures to help businesses maintain operations and minimize losses during and after an emergency.
Emergency management directors typically need a bachelor’s degree, as well as multiple years of work experience in emergency response, disaster planning, or public administration.
EducationEmergency management directors typically need a bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, accounting, finance, emergency management, or public health. Some directors working in the private sector in the area of business continuity management may need to have a degree in computer science, information systems administration, or another information technology (IT) field.
Some smaller municipalities or local governments may hire applicants who have just a high school diploma. However, these applicants usually need extensive work experience in emergency management if they are to be hired.
Work Experience in a Related OccupationApplicants typically need multiple years of work experience, often with the military, law enforcement, fire safety, or in another emergency management field, before they can be hired as an emergency management director. Previous work experience in these areas enables applicants to make difficult decisions in stressful and time-sensitive situations. Such experience also prepares one to work with various agencies to ensure that proper resources are used to respond to emergencies.
For more information, see the profiles on police and detectives, firefighters, police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers, and EMTs and paramedics.
Licenses, Certifications, and RegistrationsSome states require directors to obtain certification within a certain timeframe after being hired in the position.
Many agencies and states offer voluntary certificate programs to help emergency management directors obtain additional skills. Some employers may prefer or even require a Certified Emergency Manager® (CEM®), Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP), or equivalent designation. Emergency management directors can attain the CEM designation through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM); the certification must be renewed every 5 years. The CBCP designation is given by the Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI) and must be renewed every 2 years.
Both associations require applicants to complete a certain number of continuing education courses prior to recertification.
Important QualitiesCommunication skills. Emergency management directors must write out and communicate their emergency preparedness plans to all levels of government, as well as to the public.
Critical-thinking skills. Emergency management directors must anticipate hazards and problems that may arise from an emergency in order to respond effectively.
Decisionmaking skills. Emergency management directors must make timely decisions, often in stressful situations. They must also identify the strengths and weaknesses of all solutions and approaches, as well as the costs and benefits of each action.
Interpersonal skills. Emergency management directors must work with other government agencies, law enforcement and fire officials, and the general public to coordinate emergency responses.
Leadership skills. To ensure effective responses to emergencies, emergency management directors need to organize and train a variety of people.
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As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, an emergency management director can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as chief of police, progress to a title such as security director and then eventually end up with the title security director.
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The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 25.3% of emergency management directors listed emergency on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and interpersonal skills are important as well.
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an emergency management director. The best states for people in this position are Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. Emergency management directors make the most in Massachusetts with an average salary of $143,733. Whereas in Maryland and New Jersey, they would average $140,380 and $140,075, respectively. While emergency management directors would only make an average of $139,620 in New York, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. West Virginia
$136,315
Avg. Salary
2. New Jersey
$140,075
Avg. Salary
3. New York
$139,620
Avg. Salary