Emergency Preparedness Specialist
Plan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies or hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.
Annual openings
21
BLS median wage
$129,660
Typical education
Flexible / varies by employer
10-year growth
+12%
Career requirements
What does this career require?
The education, credentials, and on-the-job competencies Colorado employers expect for this role.
Typical education
Flexible / varies by employer
Credential requirement
A Certified Safety Professional is valued by some employers.
Work experience
Previous experience in one of the First Responder occupations is highly valued by employers.
Is this work a fit?
What the work actually feels like
How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.
Work style
- With kids/peopleOccasionally
- On a computerOccasionally
- Outdoors / on-siteOccasionally
- With your handsOccasionally
Interests it draws on
- Government
- Public Administration
Automation exposure
Low exposure
Tasks here lean on judgement and people skills that are hard to automate.
A typical day
- Consult with officials of local and area governments, schools, hospitals, and other institutions to determine their needs and capabilities in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.
- Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
- Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs.
- Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
- Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
- Prepare plans that outline operating procedures to be used in response to disasters or emergencies, such as hurricanes, nuclear accidents, and terrorist attacks, and in recovery from these events.