Emergency Management Careers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge’s emergency management initiatives are coordinated by the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (MOHSEP). MOHSEP has worked closely with many of the city’s private, public and non-profit organizations to develop comprehensive and detailed hazard mitigation and response plans. Some of the most important of these are the model health plans, which describe strategies for major health facilities like daycares, nursing homes and invalid residents to evacuate during a natural disaster.

The MOHSEP also operates the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which coordinates city wide efforts during or following a major natural or man-made crisis.  The EOC is networked with major first responder agencies like fire, police and emergency medical. The EOC also has dedicated communication systems for talking with state or federal authorities.  In the case of severe damage or destruction of the EOC, the MOHSEP may shift operational headquarters to a mobile command center.

Hurricane Gustav was the most destructive hurricane to strike Baton Rouge. In 2008, the Category 2 storm made landfall near Baton Rouge, but almost 1.9 million people had been evacuated from Louisiana coastal areas. Residents who remained and those returned were without power for several days, while many were displaced from flooded homes.

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Requirements for Emergency Management Professionals in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Due to its coastal location, Baton Rouge is particularly vulnerable to the numerous hurricanes that can track through the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall in Louisiana.  In response, many of the government agencies, private enterprises and volunteer groups in the Baton Rouge area employ emergency management professionals to help prepare for disasters.  Many of the emergency management jobs in Baton Rouge, Louisiana require candidates possess qualifications like

  • Possession of a bachelor’s degree with strong course work in
    • Emergency management
    • Homeland security
    • Information technology
    • Business continuity planning
    • Law enforcement
  • Knowledge of the National Incident Management System, National Response Framework, and Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program
  • Five or more years of experience in homeland security, emergency planning or disaster readiness
  • Demonstrated ability to work with federal and state officials, private professionals and volunteers
  • Experience designing and implementing emergency management training exercises or programs

Training and Certification for Baton Rouge Emergency Management Professionals

The Baton Rouge MOHSEP offers a limited number of emergency management courses to EM professionals in the city including

  • Community Emergency Response Team
  • Business Emergency Response Team
  • HMGP Acquisition Project
  • Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training
  • Intermediate Incident Command System for Expanding Incidents

The Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) has partnered with the federal Emergency Management Institute to sponsor several certification programs.  These programs offer the Professional Development Series which include courses on

  • Emergency Planning
  • Fundamentals of Emergency Management
  • Introduction to Exercise
  • Leadership and Influence
  • Effective Communication
  • Decision Making and Problem Solving
  • Developing and Managing Volunteers

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