Just in the last few years alone, Sarpy County, Nebraska, has seen its share of natural emergencies and major disaster declarations, from flooding May-August 2011 and severe winter storms in February 2010 to severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes in July 2010. All of these major incidents required the coordination of local, regional, state and federal programs and agencies and precise response and recovery efforts by qualified emergency management professionals.
How to Work Toward Emergency Management Careers in Sarpy County, Nebraska
Individuals interested in pursuing emergency management jobs in Sarpy County must earn a bachelor’s degree in emergency management, business administration, public administration, or a related field. Further, they must possess at least 2 years of emergency management experience.
It is desirable that candidates for emergency management jobs in Sarpy County also possess a FEMA Radiological Emergency Preparedness certification.
Further, all emergency management professionals in Sarpy County must obtain the State of Nebraska Basic Certification in Emergency Management within a year of being hired.
The Basic Certification program includes an independent course of study, which includes the successful completion of the following courses:
- The Emergency Management Profession
- Terrorism Preparedness
- State Emergency Operations Plan (SEOP)
- Risk Assessment
- Panel of Emergency Management Professionals
- Local Emergency Operations Plan (LEOP)
- IMS Orientation
- Hazmat Awareness
- Grants
- Exercise Planning & Evaluation
- EOC Operations & Management
- Emergency Managers Handbook
Further training in emergency management can be obtained by working toward the Advanced Emergency Management Certification program, which includes the successful completion of the following courses:
- Leadership and Influence
- IMS
- Exercise Development
- Effective Communication / Presentation Skills
- Decision Making and Problem Solving
- Continuity of Operations
Professional certification, which is a common goal of emergency management professionals, includes:
- The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Certified Emergency Manager (CEM)
- The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Associate Emergency Manager (AEM)
- FEMA Professional Development Series (PDS) Certificate
- FEMA Advanced Professional Series (APS) certificate
Emergency Management Services in Sarpy County
Sarpy County emergency management services and 9-1-1 communications, which are overseen and managed by a director, an emergency manager, and an emergency management specialist, works alongside the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Omaha Weather Service Forecast Office.
The Sarpy County Local Emergency Operations Plan was developed to provide a coordinated response in Sarpy County, which includes the cities of Bellevue, Gretna, LaVista, Papillion, and Springfield.