This year, August was established as National Emergency Management Awareness Month. This awareness month is different than National Preparedness Month. Let’s make sure you understand what these emergency management professionals contribute to our communities in helping us prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
What Emergency Managers Do
The IAEM (International Association of Emergency Managers) posted details for Emergency Management Awareness Month. Emergency managers are problem solvers. They are on duty 24/7/365 when an incident requires coordination across multiple services, agencies, or disciplines to oversee public safety.
EMs are disaster professionals, bridging gaps between agencies, businesses, and communities to build resilience. They connect resources, foster collaboration, and ensure that when crises happen, response efforts are seamless and effective. They advise corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies.
They work in schools, hospitals, universities, and businesses. They are chief risk advisors for the communities, businesses, and organizations served—helping them prevent, mitigate future risks, and prepare for and recover from disasters.
Emergency Managers are not first responders. During a crisis, they activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to coordinate resources and manage the overall response by the first responders.
An emergency manager’s work happens before a disaster strikes. Their full-time job involves planning, training, and building relationships to ensure a coordinated response during an emergency. This work includes:
- Updating and exercising emergency plans.
- Developing evacuation and sheltering procedures.
- Educating the public about disaster preparedness.
Emergency management is needed everywhere, from rural areas to major metropolitan centers. All communities face hazards, whether from wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, or hazardous material spills. Emergency managers work to plan for the specific risks faced by their communities.
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Necessary Skills
A combination of soft skills and technical skills is a requirement for the emergency management team. Soft skills include Communication, Leadership, Decision-Making, Critical Thinking, Adaptability, Flexibility, Resilience, Composure, and strong Interpersonal Skills.
Technical Skills include Planning and Preparedness, Risk Assessment, Incident Command Center, Resource Management, Crisis Communication, Technology Proficiency, Regulatory, Policy, and Legal Knowledge.
I send my respect to everyone in these Emergency Management roles in our communities. The ability to navigate what’s needed to address the emergency itself, coupled with the increasing frequency of emergencies, public health concerns, addressing vulnerable residents, the impact on local infrastructure, cybersecurity threats, misinformation, and data collection from incoming data & social media, is a HUGE responsibility.
This Awareness Month is well deserved. Think about it – these people are the silent heroes behind the scenes. There is no national directory of all Emergency Managers in the US. If you’d like to learn more about the Emergency Managers in your state, these Government directories can help get you started.
- State and territorial emergency management agencies: USA.gov provides a list of links to state and territorial emergency management websites, where you can find contact information for specific agencies.
- National Emergency Management Association (NEMA): NEMA is the professional association for emergency management directors from all 50 states, eight U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. Its website can direct you to the top official in each state.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): FEMA’s website provides a directory of its national leadership and main program offices. You can also find regional contacts, such as Regional NIMS (National Incident Management System) Coordinators.
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
Alerts
To sign up for national alerts, go to Ready.gov. I have not tried this next one, yet it is something I plan to check out!
Smart911 is a free service that lets you create a private “Safety Profile” online. This profile provides vital information to 9-1-1 call takers when you make an emergency call from a registered phone number.
This profile can include details like household members, medical conditions, vehicle information, and photos, helping emergency services provide faster and more accurate assistance, especially when communication is difficult. The service also allows you to receive targeted emergency alerts for local weather, traffic, and other critical events.
To sign up for local community emergency alerts in the U.S., search online for your specific county or city name and “emergency alerts” to find their official emergency notification system, then visit the system’s website or app to register and provide your contact information and preferred alert methods.
Breathe …
Knowing we have Emergency Managers in our communities looking out for us is a comfort. Preparing you in advance of personal or community emergencies is the focus of my work.
Send me an Email or Book a Time with Lynn if you have any questions or would like to connect via Zoom to discuss your particulars.
For additional information about my work, check out @ The Living Planner or @ The Living Planner. If you’re up for pre-planning, my book is a resource for you. The Living Planner What to Prepare Now While You Are Living © Check it out HERE.
Quote for the week: “Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges,” by Bryant McGill
Keep calm and carry on, Lynn
#Can’tPredictCanPrepare #CareForPeopleCareForBusiness