Emergency Management Careers in Davidson County, Tennessee

Emergency management services in Davidson County, Tennessee are provided through the Nashville Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM).  In addition to conducting a variety of day-to-day roles in developing disaster preparedness systems, the OEM also maintains the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).  The EOC is the county’s central command facility during a natural or manmade emergency, and coordinates the activities of municipal and county agencies

OEM personnel are responsible monitoring local environmental conditions throughout the county.  If an incident occurs that qualifies as a major environmental crisis, OEM coordinators can dispatch teams, equipment and resources to the site of the incident. Emergency management personnel will serve as supervisors and liaisons throughout the assessment and response phases.

The Office of Emergency Management is also responsible for planning response programs to major emergencies.  Personnel designated as the Emergency Management Council or Emergency Service Coordinators work with representatives from local government agencies, industries and non-governmental organizations to produce a comprehensive emergency operations plan.


Training and Requirements for Emergency Management Careers in Davidson County, Tennessee

With the extensive history of disasters that Davidson County has endured, there are a large number of companies and organizations who are eager to hire emergency management professionals from the fields of urban planning, architecture, engineering, geology and business continuity planning.  The exact requirements for these jobs are provided by employers, but they are usually similar to the following:

  • Possess a bachelor’s degree with significant course work in at least one of the following fields
    • Emergency operations
    • Homeland security
    • Engineering
    • Public administration
    • Public health
  • Familiarity with the NRF, NIMS, HSEEP or ICS
  • Some experience managing emergency response teams or programs
  • Demonstrated facility in working effectively with private sector, local, state and federal personnel

Emergency Management Training and Certification

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) is responsible for providing training to local agencies and personnel in the following areas:

  • Professional emergency management
  • Hazardous materials
  • Search and rescue
  • Incident management and incident command

TEMA also conducts training exercises designed to mimic a natural or manmade disaster.

The federal Emergency Management Institute (EMI) also provides emergency management courses in Davidson County, Tennessee, including

  • Public disaster communications
  • Operational planning
  • Incident management
  • Hazard mitigation
  • Integrated preparedness

The EMI also offers nationally recognized accreditation programs including the Professional Development Series.

Davidson County Floods

In 2010, Tennessee experienced what is referred to as 1,000 year floods.  Torrential rains throughout the south inundated major waterways and lead to severe flooding of Nashville and Davidson County.  The Cumberland River overflowed its banks and flooded many of Nashville’s most historical facilities including the Grand Ole Opry House.  Some buildings were flooded by as much as 40 feet of water. There were nine deaths in the county related to the floods. The damage in Nashville was estimated at over $1.5 billion.

Back to Top