The emergency services director is responsible for planning and organizing emergency management services in the community. The director is responsible for managing and operating the Emergency Operations Center, Office of Emergency Services, or a similar office, as well as ensuring that the agency’s policies and procedures are followed. The director must also create a budget to fund the center’s ability to carry out the applicable jurisdiction’s emergency operations plan. The emergency services director’s responsibilities include supervising and training employees to follow communication procedures and implement emergency services. The director must also work with a variety of local and state agencies, such as the Department of Emergency Management, to ensure that the emergency management plan in place is effective and can be implemented properly during an emergency.
The emergency services director must prepare for and train employees in a variety of areas related to emergency services. Participating in drills, conducting seminars for employees and local officials, and attending training to keep up with national and regional legislation that affects the director’s duties and responsibilities are all part of the preparation process. Flooding, hazardous chemical incidents, and terrorism are just a few examples. The director is responsible for overseeing the Emergency Operations Center’s participation in these emergencies and ensuring that the necessary funding and tools are in place. The director may make recommendations for improving standards and the current emergency operations plan after each emergency.
The job description of an emergency services director rarely overlaps with that of a firefighter or a law enforcement officer. When there is an emergency, those workers are in charge of providing assistance to citizens, but the director is in charge of emergency preparedness and mitigation. The director also coordinates with officials from other departments, but her responsibilities are usually limited to emergency services. The director, for example, may issue a public warning about an impending danger and coordinate with fire and law enforcement to ensure that they are prepared to respond. The director is frequently uninvolved in the activities of those employees, but must implement an emergency operations plan to minimize public harm.
Administrative and technical experience, as well as work in the emergency services field, are common qualifications for this position. Individuals interested in working as an emergency services director should be familiar with disaster planning, survival procedures, and emergency resource requirements. They must also have a prior understanding of regional and national emergency service standards.