How to hire an emergency preparedness specialist

How to hire an emergency preparedness specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step emergency preparedness specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an emergency preparedness specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new emergency preparedness specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an emergency preparedness specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your emergency preparedness specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an emergency preparedness specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an emergency preparedness specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an emergency preparedness specialist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of emergency preparedness specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Emergency Preparedness Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Emergency Preparedness Specialist	Emergency management directors prepare plans and procedures for responding to natural disasters or 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.	$14-58
   Emergency Management Coordinator	An Emergency Management Coordinator is responsible for strategizing techniques and facilitating programs to respond to emergencies and natural threats. They evaluate the effect of hazards and develop comprehensive plans to minimize or mitigate emerging risks to the community... Show more	$15-54
   Emergency Management Director	An emergency management director must maintain liaisons, prepare plans and procedures in responding to natural disasters and calamities or any emergencies. They organize training for volunteers, staff, and responders to emergency response operations... Show more	$34-172

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Emergency Preparedness
   • Public Health
   • Emergency Operations
   • Emergency Management
   • Incident Management
   • Incident Command System
   • Member Safety
   • Nims
   • Hazardous Materials
   • AAA
   • Technical Assistance
   • Roadside Assistance
   • Action Reports
   • Emergency Response

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Identify facilities and personnel resources within the state to achieve rapid effective dispensing of SNS.
   • Develop and revise comprehensive, NIMS compliant plans.
   • Train staff on new and emerging HAZMAT trends and tasks.
   • Conduct detailed EPA reports, labor, equipment cost/rental and recommendations.
   • Lead instructor and assistant instructor duties various specialize training programs relating to HazMat and CBRNE.
   • Coordinate multiple boom deployment exercises with clients to ensure state and OSRO requirements are meet.

   More emergency preparedness specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your emergency preparedness specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An emergency preparedness specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an emergency preparedness specialist in Florida may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level emergency preparedness specialist usually earns less than a senior-level emergency preparedness specialist. Additionally, an emergency preparedness specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average emergency preparedness specialist salary

   $60,996yearly

   $29.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level emergency preparedness specialist salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average emergency preparedness specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$82,123	$39
   2	Massachusetts	$80,834	$39
   3	Pennsylvania	$74,356	$36
   4	Virginia	$69,693	$34
   5	Oregon	$62,460	$30
   6	California	$61,940	$30
   7	Illinois	$59,721	$29
   8	Wyoming	$57,869	$28
   9	Ohio	$56,701	$27
   10	Washington	$56,295	$27
   11	North Dakota	$56,152	$27
   12	Arkansas	$52,412	$25
   13	Colorado	$50,903	$24
   14	Texas	$50,232	$24
   15	Missouri	$45,905	$22
   16	Nebraska	$43,472	$21

   Average emergency preparedness specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	SSM Health	$150,135	$72.18	22
   2	Marathon Petroleum	$121,373	$58.35	12
   3	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$96,094	$46.20	3
   4	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$94,117	$45.25
   5	Dean Health Plan	$93,464	$44.93
   6	Exelon	$93,148	$44.78
   7	IPRO	$89,997	$43.27
   8	Jackson	$78,639	$37.81
   9	Carnegie Mellon University	$77,879	$37.44
   10	Leidos	$73,634	$35.40
   11	Eisenhower Medical Center	$68,235	$32.81
   12	Washington State University	$65,197	$31.34
   13	Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council	$61,614	$29.62
   14	Colorado State Express	$61,230	$29.44
   15	State of North Dakota	$61,168	$29.41
   16	Texas	$57,706	$27.74
   17	AAA Systems	$55,890	$26.87	1
   18	AAA Northeast	$55,817	$26.84
   19	County of Yolo	$53,100	$25.53
   20	Pinkerton Government Services Inc	$49,877	$23.98

4. Writing an emergency preparedness specialist job description

   A good emergency preparedness specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an emergency preparedness specialist job description:

   Emergency preparedness specialist job description example

   At Wolfspeed, we do amazing things in a human way.
   We know that the achievements of our organization are due to the passion, hard work and creativity of our employees. We celebrate different perspectives to foster excellence across our organization, and our goal is to make diversity a foundation of what we do. We are proudly building an environment where you can bring your authentic self to work.
   
   Enjoy doing things that people say can't be done? Innovation is at the center of everything we do.Hate red tape? We remove roadblocks instead of creating them.Working parent? We provide childcare assistance and paid parental leave.Student? We offer continuing education assistance.Looking for community? There are many ways to get involved, from Employee Resource Groups to local outreach.
   
   Here's the Gist:
   Reporting to the Emergency Response Manager, the Emergency Response Team Specialist functions as a member of Wolfspeed's Corporate Security and Emergency Management organization. This position acts as an on-site professional emergency responder to hazardous materials, fire, and medical related emergencies and provides on-scene leadership to Wolfspeed's Volunteer Emergency Response Team (ERT). This position is compensated hourly with a starting base rate of $28.25. Additional shift differential will apply based on your shift. Wolfspeed offers competitive benefits and compensation. Apply to learn more.
   
   The Day-to-Day:
   Opportunity to demonstrate critical decision-making skills and provide for the safety and well-being of our workforce.Opportunity to support industry leading manufacturing through the prevention of and response to emergency situations.Opportunity to be part of a highly competent, tight-knit team that supports professional development and continuing education.Respond to potentially hazardous situations to perform an initial assessment to determine if an emergency condition exists and what, if any, additional resources are required.Provide first-aid and emergency care for ill and injured persons on-site and facilitate transportation off-site as appropriate.Perform clean-up of incidental spills of potentially hazardous materials outside of their primary containment.Perform incipient stage fire extinguishment, when appropriate, using portable fire extinguisher.Act as the on-scene Emergency Coordinator and/or Incident Commander as appropriate for an emergency incident and complete post-incident documentation in a timely manner.Coordinate dispatch, escort of, and liaison with outside emergency response agencies.Conduct initial investigations following an emergency incident and document findings in a timely manner for use by internal organizations performing Root Cause Analysis.Perform inspection and maintenance of ERT and life safety equipment to ensure readiness.Assist with the development and delivery of training to ERT members.Assist with the development and execution of evacuation drills and exercises of the ERT.Maintain proficiency with Wolfspeed's Integrated Contingency Plan, Emergency Action Plan, and other policies and procedures related to the duties of the position.Perform routine inspection of Wolfspeed facilities, including laboratories and manufacturing areas, to prevent the development of an emergency condition.Assist personnel from other departments with activities that help to prevent emergency conditions and improve efficiency of response by internal and external responders.Facilitate a positive working relationship with ERT members and facility personnel to facilitate an efficient response.
   
   This Job is Right for You if You Have (Minimum Requirements):
   Must possess a high school diploma.3+ years' experience responding to hazardous materials, fire, and medical emergencies.Meet the minimum Wolfspeed ERT Medical Surveillance requirements prior to date of hire, including the ability to safely lift up to fifty pounds and don self-contained breathing apparatus, air purifying respirators, and chemical protective clothing.Possess or be able to obtain and maintain a driver's license in the State of North Carolina 90 days of date of hire.Possess or be able to obtain and maintain certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in the State of North Carolina within one year of date of hire.Possess or be able to obtain and maintain certification as a Hazardous Materials Technician/Specialist as outlined in OSHA's HAZWOPER regulations (29 CFR 1910.120q) within one year of date of hire.Must be knowledgeable in the application of NIMS and ICS models.
   
   Preferred Skills & Certifications:
   Associate degree from an accredited college or university in emergency management, chemistry of hazardous materials, fire science, occupational safety, or related field.Certification as an Emergency Medical Technician by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT).Certification as a Hazardous Materials Technician by the Pro Board Fire Service Professional Qualifications System or similar.Certification as a Fire Officer or other Command Level Certification.Experience and/or familiarization with industrial emergency response teams.Experience and proficiency with public speaking and classroom instruction.
   
   This role may require additional duties and/or assignments as designated by management.
   
   To put it legally - Wolfspeed is an equal opportunity employer.
   We recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation and other protected status as required by law.
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find emergency preparedness specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any emergency preparedness specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level emergency preparedness specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your emergency preparedness specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit emergency preparedness specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit emergency preparedness specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new emergency preparedness specialist

   Once you've found the emergency preparedness specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new emergency preparedness specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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