Emergency Management Officer | Āpiha Whakahaere Ohotata

Emergency management officers plan for and respond to emergencies such as earthquakes and weather events. They also train communities to prepare for disasters.

Pay

Emergency management officers with up to three years' experience usually earn

Emergency management officers with three or more years' experience usually earn

$79K-$95K per year

Source : Hawke's Bay Regional Council, 2018.

Job opportunities

Chances of getting a job as an emergency management officer are average due to stable numbers of people in the role.

Pay for emergency management officers varies depending on experience, qualifications and where they work.

• Emergency management officers with up to three years' experience usually earn between $66,000 and $79,000 a year.
• After three to six years' experience they usually earn between $79,000 and $85,000.
• Senior emergency management officers with more than six years' experience or who work as team leaders can earn up to $95,000.

Source : Hawke's Bay Regional Council, 2018.

Emergency management officers may do some or all of the following :

Skills and knowledge

Emergency management officers need to have knowledge of :

Working conditions

Emergency management officers :

What's the job really like?

Emergency Management Officer

Staying calm in emergencies

Jan Pryor was a police officer for nine years before moving into emergency management and says it gave her emergency service experience and people skills that are needed for the role. "You have to be able to get along with a wide range of people and be used to dealing with emergency situations. You can't be somebody that gets stressed and goes to pieces in a crisis."

What the role involves

Being an emergency management officer is largely about preparing the community for a local emergency. Jan participates in the Police Emergency Services Co-ordinating Committee, which includes services like the police, the coast guard, St John's, and hospitals. "We make sure we are all talking the same language in the event that something happens."

Training on the job

Recently completing a Certificate in Emergency Management has deepened Jan's understanding of the job. "I've also joined the local emergency response team, which is a national urban search and rescue team and can potentially be called upon to work anywhere in the country."

Jan says her future lies in emergency management. "I'm interested in getting qualified enough to do international work with the United Nations. You can get to go around the world."

To become an emergency management officer you need to have :

Emergency management officers are usually trained on the job and complete short courses in emergency management subjects.

A Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Management can be completed by distance learning to advance your career.

No specific secondary education is required for this job, but geography and social studies to at least NCEA Level 2 are useful.

Personal requirements

Emergency management officers need to be :

Useful experience

Useful experience for emergency management officers includes :

Many emergency management officers start their career as a volunteer for their local civil defence group.

Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management - -

Limited vacancies foremergency management officers

Opportunities for emergency management officers are average because :

According to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 452 emergency management officers work in New Zealand.

Chances of finding work are best in the main centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Your chances of securing an entry-level emergency management officer job are best if you have good relationship building and management skills, and relevant work experience such as civil defence volunteering.

Roles expected to increase for emergency management officers

Opportunities for emergency management officers are expected to increase due to recent government plans to prepare the public for the negative effects of climate change, health epidemics and natural disasters.

Experienced emergency management officers will also be needed to train and manage volunteers.

Types of employers varied

Emergency management officers may work for :

Emergency management officers may also be self-employed.

Sources

Emergency management officers may move into management roles as controllers, or into policy analyst roles.

With further training, emergency management officers may progress to work in international disaster relief work with organisations such as the United Nations and Red Cross.

Emergency management officers can specialise in a number of roles, including :

Business Continuity Adviser / Emergency Management Adviser Emergency management advisers gather and analyse information to assist in the planning, development, interpretation and review of policies relating to emergency management. Lifeline Utility Co-ordinator Lifeline utility co-ordinators work with the providers of essential services such as electricity, transport and telecommunications to help services function during and after an emergency. Public Information Manager Public information managers receive, check, pass on and distribute information about emergency preparedness and emergencies. Welfare Manager Welfare managers coordinate and support the delivery of welfare services by community agencies during and after an emergency. Welfare Centre Supervisor / Temporary Animal Shelter Supervisor Welfare centre supervisors / Temporary animal shelter supervisors manage welfare centres and animal shelters that house people and animals during and after an emergency.

Emergency management officers conduct exercises to test disaster response plans

Army officers train army soldiers, manage field exercises and lead soldiers in combat, security operations, peacekeeping missions and disaster relief.

Firefighterscontrol and put out fires, help rescue people and animals, andeducate the public about fire safety and fire prevention.

Health and safety advisers monitor workplace health and safety hazards, train employees on health and safety procedures, and investigate accidents.

Police officers work to prevent and solve crime, keep the peace, and respond to criminal activities and emergencies.

#J-18808-Ljbffr