The Nashville Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) functions not only as the primary emergency management agency for the city of Nashville, Tennessee, but also for all of Davidson County. It is the responsibility of the OEM to coordinate incidents and resources in the event of an emergency, and to plan for emergencies throughout the area. In addition to conducting training and exercises to prepare for emergencies, the OEM draws up emergency management plans and multi-hazard mitigation plans for the city and county.
Representative of OEM often speak to the public of the Nashville area to educate them on becoming prepared for emergencies of all types. The OEM has also created NERVE, the Nashville Emergency Response Viewing Engine, an interactive real-time map that can be accessed by anyone and will show routes of evacuation, shelters and road closures in the event of an emergency. The OEM wants to assure that the citizens of Nashville are ready and know what to do in case of an emergency. Emergency management careers in Nashville could begin at an agency such as the OEM or at many other agencies and companies in the area.
Emergency Management Education in Nashville
The Nashville Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management provides both professional level and citizens’ training to interested persons. While this is not necessarily the type of training that can help one to get a job in the emergency management field, trainings such as this are vital to maintaining a well prepared public. Disaster preparedness preparations, basic terrorism awareness classes and Community Emergency Response Team Training are just a few of the training opportunities available through OEM.
If a Nashville resident wants to enter into the career discipline of emergency management, however, it is usually necessary to have a certificate or degree at the graduate or undergraduate level. In the Nashville area and online, programs such as the following are beneficial to those seeking emergency management jobs:
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice: Homeland Security Concentration
- Interdisciplinary Certificate in Homeland Security Studies
- Associate of Applied Business in Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Business Administration in Legal Studies
- Master of Science in Emergency Management
- Master of Science in Management in Homeland Security
Employers of Emergency Management Professionals in Nashville
Emergency management jobs in Nashville need not only be based out of government agencies at the federal, state and local level. While there are, indeed, usually emergency management career opportunities within these types of agencies, other privately run companies that do business with the government can provide satisfying emergency management career options. Government agencies and private companies in the Nashville area that could potentially offer careers in emergency management include:
- Nashville Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management – possible emergency management jobs here could include Operations Specialist, Operations Supervisor, Area Coordinator, Executive Coordinator, and Executive and Operations Manager
- Nashville Post of Duty of the U.S. Department of Defense – This office contains the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Emergency management-related jobs here could include Special Agent and GAO Liaison.
- Protective Security Advisor’s Office of the Nashville District (Department of Homeland Security) – Emergency management jobs here could include Public Affairs Specialist and Information Technology Specialist.
- Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) – Emergency management jobs at the state’s emergency management agency located in Nashville could include Emergency Management Planner and Emergency Manager Operations Officer.
- ResourceTEK– a staffing and personnel company in Nashville that has one government client. Emergency management jobs here could include IT Project Manager, Technical Writer and Civil Designer.