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Public Health

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

Median wage

$129,660

Typical education

Education not reported

Growth 2026–2032

+12%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

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Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

Education not reported

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.

Please note that the salary and job opening information is for a "Director" level position. Most "Specialist" roles will make a significantly lower salary than this.

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

The type of work can vary by job and employer.

  • With childrenNo
  • On a computerMay vary
  • OutdoorsNo
  • With your handsNo

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

  1. 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.
  2. Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
  3. Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs.
  4. Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
  5. Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
  6. 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.
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