Additional Information
There are certificate programs and undergraduate programs in emergency
management offered by colleges and universities. There are also postgraduate
degrees available in emergency management.
"A graduate degree is increasingly understood to be a ticket to senior
management positions within the feild," says Robin Cox. She's a professor
in a disaster and emergency management program.
"The other route is through either first response (police, fire, paramedic)
or military, but even a lot of those people, in order to advance beyond a
certain point, are recognizing then that they need to get a master's degree,"
Cox adds.
"They have the field experience, they even have the management experience,
potentially, but are returning to get that degree and get that broader perspective
and credentialing so that they can move into more senior positions."
Traditionally many emergency managers started their careers as police officers,
fire fighters, paramedics or in the military. This is still true for many,
but now they are adding academic credentials to their resumes.
"The field is shifting and increasingly there is this expectation that
emergency managers will have some kind of practice background... and academic
credentials," says Cox.
Cox recommends getting volunteer experience. You can start while still
in junior high or high school.
"Volunteer experience is always a good thing to get," says Cox. "It gives
you a sense of some of the activities going on and what some of the jobs are
like. It also gives you some credentials when you're applying for either paid
positions or undergraduate or graduate school programs."
Here are some volunteering possibilities:
- Helping to stack sandbags in a flooded community
- Helping set up reception centers when people are displaced by floods or
other disasters
- Getting involved in awareness campaigns about preparing for disaster
- Volunteering at crisis lines to understand how people are affected by
challenging circumstances
- Joining a group such as Army Cadets or Air Cadets
First aid training is also an asset for aspiring emergency managers.
"Some communities have disaster risk management or resilience building
activities that children and youth can get involved in," says Cox. "[And]
you might try volunteering in your community with an emergency social service
(disaster volunteer) organization or crisis line.
Even those volunteer opportunities that may not seem to be directly related
to emergency management can be valuable because there are so many different
components of the field (for example, response, providing emotional support,
organizing supplies, rebuilding after a disaster, etc.)"