Emergency Management Careers in Hinds County, MS

Hinds County holds the state capital of Jackson and is considered part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Yazoo River, which borders Hinds County on the north, is the southern edge of the Mississippi Delta, that area between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers that is famous for music and floods.

Between 1950 and 2010 Hinds County experienced 1,002 floods, including those resulting from the heavy storms of May, 2011 which cost Hinds County $140 million in property damage and earned it and 35 other Mississippi counties a disaster declaration. Hinds County has a greater chance of tornadoes than either Mississippi or the U.S. as a whole. The 150 tornadoes that occurred in 1950-2010 resulted in hundreds of deaths and massive property damage. Hinds County also experienced 7,518 thunderstorms (an average of 125 a year!) and 4,447 hail storms during the same time period.


Emergency Management Careers in Hinds County, MS

The minimal requirement for an emergency management career is a bachelor’s degree either in emergency management or in a related topic with a certificate in emergency management. At least one on-campus school in Hinds County offers an emergency management degree. These degrees can also be obtained from numerous accredited online universities. Emergency management courses include such subjects as:

  • Operations Management
  • Emergency Management Needs and Issues
  • Terrorism/Homeland Security
  • Public Safety Theory/Research
  • Decision-Making
  • Hazardous Materials

How to Apply for an Emergency Management Job in Hinds County, MS

Open positions are posted on the Hinds County Employment Management website which also has applications that can be downloaded. Applications cannot be submitted online. Completed forms may be returned to any WIN JOB CENTER (Mississippi employment service). Additional information can be obtained by calling the Division of Emergency Management; 601-960-1476.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the annual mean salary for emergency management directors as $46,600 (Mississippi) and $41,420 (Jackson).

Hinds County Emergency Management

The National Weather Service has designated Hinds County a “StormReady” community, which requires that emergency preparedness operations and infrastructure meet specific criteria and communications and warning systems are technologically up to date. The Hinds County Division of Emergency Management is headquartered in Jackson, In addition to designing a detailed response plan for all types of natural and manmade disasters/emergencies, its activities include:

  • Maintaining an emergency operations center
  • Maintaining/operating a 24-hour electronic warning system
  • Maintaining a siren warning system
  • Distributing lists of what should be contained in a family disaster kit
  • Coordinating emergency responses of all first and second responders
  • Offering public classes in such topics as first aid, tornado spotting, etc.
  • Conducting emergency exercises
  • Providing online and hard-copy preparedness and action checklists for floods, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, severe winter storms and heat waves
  • Delivering emergency preparedness presentations to schools, hospitals, community organizations, homeowner’s associations, etc.

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