Emergency Management Careers in Cleveland, Ohio

With an estimated 4.5-percent rise in emergency management jobs in 2011, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Cleveland is one of the fastest-growing destinations for those that seek emergency management positions. The rise in demand for emergency management professionals can be explained by various factors: during the last three years, the entire state of Ohio (Cleveland included) has experienced some of the worst weather and natural disasters in recent memory- which includes severe snow, hail and ice storms, flooding, droughts, wildfires and even hurricanes drifting from the Eastern Seaboard; also the city of Cleveland itself is experiencing a population boom, which increases the need for emergency management planning.

Of course, there are also man-made disasters to consider for emergency management organizations and agencies, such as terrorism (both international and domestic,) cyber-attacks and hazardous waste issues such as oil spills, and other industrial disasters.


Emergency Management Professionals at Work in Cleveland

While there are federal, state and county emergency management agencies, it is the primary goal of the City of Cleveland, Office of Emergency Management to create city-specific plans during times of emergency and disaster. The Office of Emergency Management employs professionals in order to create evacuation plans, mitigation techniques, recovery operations and coordinate with county, state and federal agencies, as well as emergency service responders, local law enforcement and the public at large.

The office is also responsible for providing training for emergency management professionals and is responsible for maintaining the Emergency Operations Center and the Joint Information Center. There are various types of careers that may be offered in emergency management, these include the following:

  • Public Health
  • Public and Non-Profit
  • Homeland Security
  • Business
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Information Technology

Emergency Management Degrees, Training and Certification in Cleveland

In order to obtain an emergency management job in Cleveland, candidates are required to meet a certain set of criteria. The most important of which is having the proper education, training and certification as an emergency manager.

Training and Certification: Training is provided through the Office of Emergency Management and certification can be obtained either through that office, or through the Emergency Management Association of Ohio. In order to become certified, candidates must complete the training courses and also meet one of the below sets of criteria:

  • Three years of full-time emergency management experience
  • Two years of full-time emergency management experience and an associate degree in a field related to emergency management
  • One year of full-time emergency management experience and a bachelor or master degree in a field closely related to emergency management

Degrees: Emergency management degrees can be obtained through online or on-campus schooling in and around the Cleveland area. Acceptable degrees include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice- Homeland Security
  • Bachelor of Science in Business Administration- Executive Management and Leadership
  • Master of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management

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