Nevada is subject to a lower frequency of natural disasters than most of the U.S., but Henderson is vulnerable to rare but potentially lethal events ranging from earthquakes to terrorist activities.
The city has an active emergency management department under the jurisdiction of the Fire Department. An emergency management coordinator administers local efforts to prevent and respond to any major emergency or disaster that could strike the city.
Sources of emergency management jobs in Henderson include a number of private companies that coordinate the transportation of materials through the city or who provide security to high profile companies.
Requirements for an Emergency Management Career in Henderson
Careers in emergency management in Henderson typically require a bachelor’s degree or prior experience in emergency management. Emergency managers can obtain college training through a school in nearby Las Vegas that offers an AA—emergency management administration emphasis.
Students can obtain higher level education in emergency management from a number of online schools that offer bachelor’s or graduate degrees to residents of Henderson. Graduates of such programs typically work as emergency management specialists or directors.
Emergency management professionals in Nevada are encouraged to pursue advanced studies through the auspices of the state government that sponsors national level training. Some of this training can obtained within the state at the U.S. DOE (Department of Energy) Nevada Test Site.
The High Risk of Potential Disasters in Henderson
Although Henderson is not considered to be at high risk of disasters such as wildfires that frequently strike the rest of Nevada, it is considered high risk for several types of natural and manmade events.
Earthquakes – Several major fault lines run through Clark County, and Nevada has the third largest ranking in the country for the frequency of large earthquakes that have struck during the past century and a half. An earthquake causing severe ground shaking is projected to affect 99% of the residential buildings in Henderson.
The potential residential damage of such a quake was estimated at over $14 billion in 2010. As part of the Las Vegas Valley, earthquake damage could be enhanced by liquefaction of the soil caused by the presence of shallow groundwater. Twenty-six percent of the population of the city could be affected by liquefaction.
Terrorism – The state of Nevada has ranked terrorism as a very high risk threat. As part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area, Henderson shares in the possibility of terrorist attacks on high profile tourism or transportation targets in the area.