If you like helping people and are considering a career in disaster management, you may be interested to know the skills required of an Emergency Management Director. These professionals are responsible for planning and carrying out emergency and disaster response plans, as well as providing training for what to do in case of a natural or technological disaster. As you can likely imagine, there are a number of competencies that are helpful and necessary for such a job. Here are some to consider.
Critical Thinking and Decision Making
First and foremost, directors of emergency management must be able to think on their feet. In a disaster, circumstances can change in the blink of an eye, and the director must be flexible in order to adjust plans accordingly and be able to consider all the alternatives. Therefore, in this position, you would need to possess strong critical thinking and problem solving abilities in order to make assessments and judgments needed in a time of stress and chaos.
Communication and Cooperation
Communication is a skill that cannot be overstated in importance when it comes to emergency management services. As a manager, you would be required to communicate clearly and concisely to a vast array of individuals and groups. Effective communication with agency representatives, emergency personnel and the public during trainings, drills, planning and actual emergencies is what ensures that events will occur smoothly, with as few obstacles or problems as possible. You will also need to get along with various groups of people. In this position, there will likely be politics and clashes in personality, but for the greater good of the public, your role would need to be one of diplomacy and bringing people together to get the job done.
Time Management and Organization
An Emergency Management Director is constantly juggling a long list of tasks. Therefore, skills in time management and organization are crucial. In this job, you will need to constantly prioritize and decide which tasks are of higher importance. You also have to process a great deal of information. Being organized and managing your time will help you sort through all of the details on your plate in order to maintain efficiency and to maximize how much you accomplish. This kind of preparation also lends itself well to those time when you need to shift gears and address an emergency, pushing everything else to the side until you have things at hand under control.
Delegation and Supervision
It takes a team to handle crises and emergency situations. You will need to learn the fine art of delegation, parceling out job duties to others on your team. You will also be in charge of the actions of those who work for you. Ensuring that each member of your team is doing their job correctly and is trained properly is a responsibility that could be a matter of life or death in this position. Delegating and supervising are tasks that require diplomacy, tact and interpersonal understanding.
There are a host of other abilities and attributes needed for a leadership position in emergency services. However,these are some of the most important skills you will need to have in order to become a successful Emergency Management Director.