For those interested in this particular area of work, there are many, diverse federal emergency management jobs to be had. In cases of the worst emergencies and disasters, this level of government can and will step in to assist. While such interventions aren’t a great commonality, they do happen and require the readiness of emergency organizations at such upper levels.
Resource: Top 10 Emergency Management Bachelor’s Degrees Online 2016-2017
There are a number of emergency preparedness agencies within the upper levels of US government. These include Ready.Gov, DHS, and a few others. However, for the most part, FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Association is primarily tasked with handling emergencies within the union. Per the organization – “FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards”.
As a result of FEMA’s leading role in national emergency response, most career options pertaining to upper-level emergency response are to be found within this singular agency. In addition, any vocational options found within FEMA are also likely to be found in other upper-level emergency response agencies as well. Therefore, the following careers, found within FEMA, are also highly representative of such positions found elsewhere in government. Here are five.
Logistics Specialist
When it comes to emergencies, the potential for complexity in any given situation is huge. The logistics specialist is the expert that takes these possible factors into consideration while maintaining a readiness stock for future events. First aid kits, food, water, blankets, tents – thousands of items must be maintained in anticipation of tomorrow’s unknown, and the logistics specialist is the one to handle it all.
Floodplain Specialist
In many disasters, expert knowledge in biology, meteorology, seismology, and other scientific fields can become extremely crucial. The floodplain specialist is one such science-based position within the field that specifically eyes water table levels, sea level, and flood-prone areas with relation to the emergency at hand. The information provided by these professionals can thus make or break continued operations in relation to water activity in the area of emergency response efforts.
IT Specialist
Behind the scenes, IT specialists assure that the technology that fuels response efforts stays up and running. Computers, video equipment, broadcasting activities, communications, and many other forms of technology are depended on quite heavily during emergency and even non-emergency operations. Without IT specialists on hand, such equipment is only as good as the next error, glitch, or crash.
Media Relations Coordinator
During emergencies, communications with the media can be quite helpful in an agency’s efforts to handle an emergency. During non-emergency times, the media can also be used to relate public information and awareness. Media relations coordinators are those that handle such media affiliation by the employing agency.
Rescue and Recovery Specialist
If you are the type that thrives on adrenaline-fueled ground operations, rescue and recovery work could be perfect for you. Workers in this specialty area typically work at the initial phases of an emergency, physically on the ground, helping the wounded and stranded and helping to recover those who may not have made it. This is certainly a highly rewarding but extremely challenging and unique career route.
Within agencies like FEMA, there lies a huge and highly complex industry that employs all kinds of workers. Whether you would like to work in HR, planning, ground work, or even communications, there is a place for you in such an agency.