Emergency management is a fast growing profession. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, the average growth rate is projected to be 6 percent. There are several lucrative management careers in the emergency management field as discussed below.
Resource: Top 10 Emergency Management Bachelor’s Degrees Online 2016-2017
Emergency Management Specialist
The emergency management specialist profession ranks as one of the fastest growing careers in the emergency management industry. These specialists manage crisis activities, provide training in disaster preparedness, direct disaster response measures, and prepare emergency strategies to mitigate against the effects of natural occurrences such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. They also handle war or technological disasters such as power plant emergencies, spills, and leaks from hazardous materials and hostage situations. They also train emergency personnel and coordinate communications between disaster relief agencies. There has been a surge in national security threats, and this has created a high demand for emergency management specialists.
Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency medical technician (EMT) is one of the most popular careers in the emergency management sector. These technicians respond to medical emergencies that arise from natural disasters, criminal violence, fires, and land and air accidents. Most of their services are administered in an ambulance but there are areas where they set up a medical relief facility to cater for causalities. The Emergency medical technician job is a high-stress profession, however, it is also very rewarding in terms of salary and other perks. These technicians can also be employed in hospitals and private facilities to cater for emergency situations.
Emergency Dispatcher
Emergency dispatchers are called upon when emergency assistance is needed. They are mostly the first people on the scene. These specialists can work in hospitals, police stations, call centers or fire stations. They work closely with emergency medical technicians. These emergency dispatchers receive specialized training in emergency medical services. There are several personal characteristics that are crucial for emergency dispatchers. Dispatchers need good judgment skills so as to know what to prioritize. They also need good communication skills to relay information to doctors, medical technicians and other parties. Experienced dispatchers are also tasked with training new dispatchers who are coming on board.
Homeland Security Specialist
Homeland security specialists are trained to handle emergency and anti-terrorism preparation and response strategies. Professionals who work in this unit mainly focus on preparedness and prevention. They can be tasked with securing the vulnerable areas in a country’s point of entry. They also intercept threats and develop terrorism response programs. The senior managers of these units are mainly former military personnel. These are paid higher than the security officers. Homeland security specialist is a demanding emergency management specialist career, but it is also very rewarding. These specialist ranks as some of the best paid in the emergency management field.
Hospital Emergency Preparedness Administrator
As the healthcare industry continues to expand, hospital emergency preparedness becomes very crucial. Qualified professionals are therefore needed to cater for the rising emergency situations. Hospital emergency preparedness administrators are tasked with responding to emergency cases. They are also expected to come up with response plans for hospital emergencies such as hostage situations, electric outages, hazardous spills and natural disasters. These specialists need to have experience in the healthcare sector. Good communication and coordination skills are of utmost importance. Critical problem solving and thinking skills are also needed because these specialists work under pressure.
As evidenced, the emergency management field has diverse career options. Job prospects and a career outlook in this field is promising. This field is expected to grow as more institutions continue to offer programs and certificates in emergency management. Students getting into this field can map out a rewarding a promising career in their area of expertise.