Emergency Management

Lead the response efforts for natural disasters and other emergency situations. Emergency service managers prepare for and mitigate emergency situations, as well as oversee the recovery process after a disaster.  

Master of Science in Emergency Services Administration

Emergency Services Administration students come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds. Some examples include:

  • Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Public Administration 
  • Health Care Administration
  • Recreation and Leisure Studies 
  • Social Work
  • Kinesiology
  • Communications
  • Geography
  • Business

Emergency service professionals should be prepared to pass background and drug checks, as well as meet physical requirements. Technical training and certification requirements vary by professional disciplinary track.

The emergency services sector comprises several disciplinary functions, each with a wide range of job descriptions. Below are a few examples. 

Emergency Management

  • Emergency management specialist, coordinator, or director, 
  • Continuity of operations manager 
  • Emergency planning and training specialist

Law Enforcement

  • Public safety leadership 
  • Homeland security officer
  • Counterterrorism analyst 
  • School safety director

Fire & Rescue 

  • Fire and rescue management
  • Wildfire management
  • Hazardous material management
  • Damage assessment specialist

Public Works

  • Transportation security director
  • Critical infrastructure manager
  • Debris management planner
  • Flood control coordinator
  • Drinking water safety coordinator

Emergency Medical Services & Public Health Emergency

  • Emergency medical services leadership
  • Public health preparedness specialist
  • Hospital emergency preparedness manager
  • Environmental health coordinator

Risk Communications

  • Public Information Officer
  • Information security specialist 
  • Dispatch leadership

Military Support

  • Domestic disaster support specialist
  • Border protection leadership
  • Decontamination specialist

  • Local, state, and federal government
  • Private companies (examples given: medical, oil & gas, entertainment, pharmaceutical, industrial, insurance, etc.)
  • Universities, colleges, and K-12 schools
  • Non-profit organizations (examples given: Red Cross, International Medical Corps, etc.)

Outlook

According to the , employment opportunities for emergency management directors are expected to grow at an average rate in the next 10 years: 8% US.

Pay

The median annual wage for emergency management directors:

  • CA: $118,320
  • US: $74,420

Public service

Emergency service professionals are committed to protecting people before, during, and after crisis situations. 

Critical thinking

The emergency service professional recognizes relevant evidence, identifies the patterns of change and threats, and reduces disaster risk in the communities they serve.

Sociocultural skills

Emergency services professionals recognize the social determinants of risk and build a foundation of respect and support for an adaptive, thriving community.

Community engagement

Emergency services professionals clearly communicate information vital to opening dialogue and developing relationships, which fosters constructive work to reduce the shared disaster risk.

Governance and civics 

Emergency service professionals participate with civic and legal processes, from politics to policy.

Leadership

Emergency services leadership emphasizes team building, collaboration, collective leadership, and communication connectivity to a wide range of stakeholders so that complex risks and threats can be addressed.