Volunteer organizations, businesses, and all levels of government report to the Scott County Emergency Management Agency in times of crisis – natural or man-made. Emergency management jobs with this agency are focused on the three key pillars of education, planning/preparation, and response. Emergency management specialists work in each of these areas to ensure none other than the finest disaster management officials and services are made available to local residents.
Through coordinated emergency management training in Scott County and preparatory educational classes, the agency and citizens are prepared for the worst possible scenarios. Emergency management coordinators are at the apex of the Scott County Emergency Management Agency, commanding key positions including:
- Incident Commander
- Safety Officer
- Staging Area Manager
- Logistics Chief
- Liaison Officer
- Situation Unit Leader
- Air Operations Branch Director
Officials holding these positions in turn coordinate with emergency management specialists from other agencies such as Illinois Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department, and the American Red Cross of the Quad Cities Area.
Strategic Career Planning
Preparing for future emergency management careers in Scott County are most often accomplished through a formal degree program followed by emergency management certification. Emergency management degree and certification programs are offered through a variety of Scott County Emergency Management partner agencies including:
- Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM)
- Scott County Health Department
- American Red Cross
- Medic Emergency Medical Services
- Online, state, and private educational institutions
Degrees and certificates for emergency management coordinators come in all shapes and sizes depending on the field of specialization and course intensity. Programs offered for Scott County emergency management specialists include:
- Associate and Bachelor Programs
- Mental Health/Counseling
- Public Health
- Business
- Engineering
- Environmental Sciences
- Emergency Management
- Iowa HSEM:
- Citizen Corps
- Iowa Disaster Human Resource Council
- Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program
- National Programs
- Certificate in Emergency Management and Public Health
- Certificate in Disaster Preparedness
- Undergraduate Certificate in Disaster Health
Emergency Management in Action
Recently those entrusted with emergency management jobs in Scott County had their abilities put to the test in the wake of flooding that prompted the governor to issue a disaster declaration. Working in conjunction with the incident commander and emergency management coordinators across a range of agencies, the Scott County Emergency Management Agency put into effect its flood contingency plan upon the first reports of the possibility of significant amounts of rainfall. The logistics chief coordinated the strategic stationing of emergency shelters, first responders, and sandbag crews. Rainfall was monitored by meteorologists while flood engineers kept track of water levels. Air units made reconnaissance flights over flooded areas, reporting to the situation unit leader on the ground to improve resource distribution. After a battle lasting several days, those working in emergency management careers in Scott County were able to rest knowing they had prevented significant amounts of death and damage.
Floods are one of the most hazardous events emergency management crews face in Iowa. However officials are also prepared for disaster situations that are uncommon but potentially devastating. One such event could be a chemical disaster as seen at the recent fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas or the train derailment and subsequent toxic crude oil explosion and fire in Lac-Megantic, Canada. Both events killed scores of residents and caused millions of dollars in damage. Emergency management specialists recognize that similar disasters have the potential to occur in Scott County, and have therefore developed contingency plans and citizen training programs that include responses to such events.