Do you want to make a difference in your community? Do you want to help others be prepared for the many emergency situations that threaten our nation today? Are you organized and able to stay calm under pressure? Then the field of emergency management may be right up your alley. This is a field that has come into important prominence in our nation with past horrific events like September 11, 2001 and the Oklahoma City Bombing. Our federal and state governments have come to recognize the importance of preparing citizens for both human made and natural emergencies and disasters. When we are prepared, we don't have to fear the unknown.
In the field of emergency management, you play an important role in your community or workplace preparations for emergencies. For example, you coordinate and management crisis activities. You provide training and prepare plans in case or emergency situations. These plans can include dealing with situations like floods, fires, toxic spills, earth quakes, terrorist attacks, nuclear emergencies, and other disasters. They can even include dealing with hostage situations.
Strong Job Outlook for Emergency Management
The field of emergency management is continuing to experience excellent growth. According to ONET, this field is expected to have at least 20 percent job growth over the next several years. The top hiring industries in this field are government agencies and the health care industry. This field will continue to see growth in the private sector as more private business hire emergency management personnel to deal with emergency management for large business locations and also on state and municipal level, especially in large urban areas, however, the recent economic recession has slowed some of the growth on the civic and community level due to budget cuts at both the community, state, and federal level.
Strong Salary Expectations
The field of emergency management offers excellent salaries. The median salaries in this field in 2009 were around $25.00 per hour or $52,000 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Great College Programs Available in Emergency Management
Colleges and universities have created some excellent emergency management degree programs. Some of these programs even have online classes to offer students more convenience in scheduling. The best route in emergency management is to obtain at least a bachelor's degree (4 year degree). Even better is to get a master’s degree (2 years of study beyond bachelor's degree). The good news is colleges are offering degree programs in this exciting field right now.