The emergency management field commonly overlaps with the technology field. Municipalities, companies and other entities use technology to oversee responses and get critical systems back online following disasters. Here are five tech-oriented jobs that emergency management professionals may be interested in.
1. Manager of IT Disaster Recovery
These specialists are tasked with the development, implementation, maintenance and management of IT Disaster Recovery programs. They coordinate how resources are applied during response procedures when services get interrupted by official emergencies, outages or similar events.
This is a relatively high-level position, and it may involve issues not strictly limited to emergency management, such as business continuity planning. Professionals who work their way up to these kinds of careers may require an understanding of cybersecurity, communication techniques and personnel management. Those who work in healthcare facilities should understand patient privacy laws like HIPAA. Possessing certifications like the Certified Business Continuity Professional credential maintained by the Disaster Recovery Institute, or DRI, may improve your employment chances.
2. Emergency Management Analyst
Emergency management analysts hold positions with numerous private-sector companies, public utilities and government institutions. They commonly help with disaster-ready business development, conduct risk assessments, create hazard response plans, develop incident-specific strategies, conduct training for personnel like first responders and play roles in grant writing.
These positions might require regionally-relevant skills. For instance, it’s important to hold FEMA-approved credentials, like Certified Emergency Manager, but you may also need to have experience with tools like the California Standardized Emergency Management System or your state’s equivalent.
3. IT Disaster Recovery Specialist
These professionals commonly perform the ground-level work needed to create, implement, manage and update IT-specific disaster recovery plans. In addition to possessing a strong working knowledge of exercise development and methodologies for business continuity and disaster recovery, they should understand basic project management concepts and be familiar with tools like Incident Command Systems and the National Incident Management System.
IT disaster recovery specialists generally hold information technology degrees and have direct experience with enterprise planing and special project management. Because this field includes a wide range of specializations, it’s accessible to people with varied educational backgrounds and proven expertise.
4. Drone Pilot
This burgeoning career is growing as more law enforcement agencies and municipalities take advantage of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. Pilots remotely survey disaster sites, identify threats and locate incident survivors in need of aid. They use specialty software and hardware tools to fly safely in adverse conditions and share the data they gather with command centers and first responders.
Because UAV operator is a relatively new career, the legal landscape is still evolving to keep up. Applicants may require commercial pilot’s licenses, FAA registrations and other credentials. In some cases, they also need to be able to troubleshoot hardware and software problems, perform failure analysis and work long days.
5. Emergency Management Program Coordinator
Program coordinators work with police, firefighters and other services to ensure vital municipal functions continue during disasters. While they don’t necessarily perform tech tasks themselves, they direct specialists like IT responders, so they require a good working knowledge of essential technology principles.
Their supervisory role means that program coordinators are often responsible for approving technology response plans. These positions may require post-secondary emergency management degrees and some form of DRI or FEMA certifications.
Resource: Top 10 Online Emergency Management Degree Programs 2015
Emergency management careers are commonly specific to organizations and disaster situations. Possessing some sort of technical experience can make it easier to choose your path. Pursuing a well-rounded mixture of academic achievements, direct experience and industry certifications might be the best way to prepare yourself.
Additional Resource: 50 Most Affordable Schools for an Emergency Management Degree 2015