Located right smack in the middle of tornado alley, Oklahoma City puts a high-priority on emergency management. Every single year, there is a major tornado that rolls through the dusty landscape of the state- and once every few years it either hits part of Oklahoma City or just barely misses it. But, tornadoes are not the only thing emergency management agencies and organizations have to look out for where natural disasters are concerned: the region is also susceptible to severe winter storms (snow, ice, hail, rain) and droughts and wildfires during the dry summer months. Yet, another thing that emergency management organizations must consider is man-made disasters. One of the most notorious domestic terrorism attacks took place on the soil of Oklahoma City, when a federal building downtown was bombed by Timothy McVeigh in 1995.
Emergency Management Degrees, Training and Certification in Oklahoma City
In order to be considered for an emergency management job in Oklahoma City, a person must first have the required degree, complete training courses and exercises, and also receive valid certification from the state.
Emergency Management Degrees: A degree from a certified educational institution is one of the main requirements for an emergency management position. The City of Oklahoma City Emergency Management Office requires that those seeking a position have at least a bachelor degree in emergency management, or a field very closely related to emergency management. Common degrees offered in and around the Oklahoma City area include Master of Science in Fire and Emergency Management and a PhD in Emergency Management.
Emergency Management Training and Certification: In order to receive professional certification, a person must complete the training courses and meet the following criteria:
- A high school diploma, GED or educational equivalent
- Candidates must have experience in emergency planning on a professional, intern or volunteer level
- Complete 40 hours of training with an emergency management agency or organization
- Must be employed by an emergency management-related organization
Those who do not meet the above criteria will not be considered for certification and will likely not be considered for an emergency management career in Oklahoma City.
Emergency Management Jobs Found in Oklahoma City
While there are emergency management career opportunities on a variety of levels (county, state, federal and private sector) in the state, there are also city-level emergency management agencies in the largest cities, Oklahoma City being the largest metropolitan area in the entire state.
The city-level organization that is primarily responsible for disaster relief and recovery services is the City of Oklahoma City Emergency Management Office. The primary task for the office is to coordinate all emergency services and streamline those plans during times of city-wide emergencies. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for emergency management professionals is estimated to rise by at least 22-percent over the next decade.