Emergency Management degree programs are now readily available at institutions of higher education through colleges and universities, and have become highly sought after during the last decade. Years ago it was perceived through seniority a predecessor might fill the empty slot of the Emergency Manager, Fire Chief or Police Commander. Now it takes more than perseverance, by making a commitment to higher education, from Bachelors to Masters and PhD education levels to make the grade. Lifetime career seeking individuals are looking at returning to college for that sought after degree which can make the difference when it comes to getting hired.

Military personnel and officers with Department of Defense training and G.I. Bill benefits will find an easy transformation into the emergency management field with their expertise in incident command, logistics, finance, engineering, specialized training and situational awareness.

After attending the FEMA Higher Ed Conference last summer I attained a whole new perspective on how emergency management and fire service programs are accredited. Here is the link to the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Model Curriculum: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/higher_ed/feshe/feshe_model.shtm

The link for FEMA Emergency Management Institute opens to a gateway of training opportunities: http://training.fema.gov/

There is also a Certified Emergency Manager® program through the International Association of Emergency Managers: http://www.iaem.com/certification/generalinfo/intro.htm

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to play an active role and has Centers of Excellence: http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0498.shtm

This is the tip of the iceberg for higher education in respect to training and programs available for those interested in pursuing emergency management degrees. By having the opportunity to Blog for Emergency Management, we can pull together the resources to promote the great higher educational opportunities available in emergency management, and share our experiences to encourage others to find their rewarding career paths through these emergency management programs.

My background working with emergency services began over a decade ago in the volunteer sector with multiple fire and law enforcement agencies as a trauma interventionist. After graduation with a bachelors degree, I progressed to working with the state emergency and military affairs department and am now working on my Master of Science in Technology with emphasis on emergency management and environmental engineering at Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus.

Photo courtesy of: ASU Commercial Photography Studio