Promotion or transition: From fire officer to emergency manager

Ray H. Chang, PhD; Dave Neal, PhD

doi:10.5055/jem.2019.0402

Authors

Ray H. Chang, PhD
Dave Neal, PhD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2019.0402

Keywords:

fire officers, emergency managers, professions of emergency management

Abstract

The field of emergency management has put much focus on disaster response activities. By overly emphasizing response, some people have come to regard fire officers as ideal candidates for promotion into emergency manager positions. To understand this process, we first review the basic definitions of emergency management. Next, drawing upon these definitions, we identify differences between fire officers’ and emergency managers’ tasks. Based on the analysis, we found that the task differences were large enough to distinguish emergency managers as a profession separate and distinct from that of the fire officer. Finally, we conclude with suggestions on how fire officers can enhance or expand their job skills to change effectively their career paths to emergency management.

Author Biographies

Ray H. Chang, PhD

Department of Political Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma

Dave Neal, PhD

Department of Political Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma

References

Wilson J, Oyola-Yemaiel A: The evolution of emergency management and the advancement towards a profession in the united states and Florida. Saf Sci. 2001; 39: 117-131.

Jensen J, Bundy S, Thomas B, Yakubu M: The county emergency manager's role in recovery. Int J Mass Emerg Disasters. 2014; 32 (1): 157-193.

Phillips B, Neal D, Webb G: Introduction to emergency management. CRC Press, 2014.

Blanchard BW: Guide to emergency management and related terms, definitions, concepts, acronyms, organizations, programs, guidance, executive orders and legislation. Emmitsburg, MD: FEMA Emergency Management Institute, 2007.

National Governors’ Association (NGA): Comprehensive emergency management: A governor's guide. Washington D.C.: NGA, 1979.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): (2008). Principles of Emergency Management. Available at https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/emprinciples.aspx. Accessed July 6, 2017.

Haddow G, Bullock J, Coppola D: Introduction to emergency management (4th ed.). USA: Elsevier, Inc., 2011.

Lindell M, Prater C, Perry R: (2006). Fundamentals of emergency management. Available at https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/aemrc/booksdownload/fem/. Accessed July 21, 2017.

Lindell M, Prater C, Perry R: Introduction to emergency management. New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007.

Mileti D: Disaster by design: A reassessment of natural hazards in the United States. USA: Joseph Henry Press, 1999.

Alexander D: The plan in practice: Emergency management. Principles of emergency planning and management (pp. 134-188). USA: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Lindell M, Perry R: Planning and preparedness. In Waugh, W. & Tierney, K. (Ed.), Emergency Management: Principles and Practice for Local Government (2nd ed., pp. 113-142). U.S.A: ICMA Press, 2007.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): (2011). National Preparedness System. Available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1855-25045-8110/national_preparedness_system_final.pdf. Accessed June 3, 2017.

McEntire DA: Disaster response and recovery: Strategies and tactics for resilience. USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2015.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS): National response framework (2nd ed.), 2013.

Boin A, Hart P, Stern E, Sundelius B: The politics of crisis management: Public leadership under pressure. UK.: Cambridge University Press, 2017.

Quarantelli EL: In Dr. Oleary (Ed.), Here is a Statement About the Incident Command System. Newark, DE: University of Delaware, Disaster Research Center, 2002.

Woodbury G: Critical curriculum for emergency management leaders: Three essential themes. J Emerg Manag. 2005; 3(2): 27-29.

Drabek TE: The professional emergency manager: Structures and strategies for success. (No. Monograph #44). CO, USA: Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, 1987.

Blanchard BW: Top ten competencies for professional emergency management. Emmitsburg, MD: FEMA Emergency Management Institute, 2005.

Britton N: Whither the emergency manager? Int J Mass Emerg Disasters. 1999; 17(2): 223-235.

Grist RE: The changing paradigm of emergency management: Improving professional development for the emergency manager. (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation). Portland State University, 2007.

Homeland Security National Preparedness Task Force (HSNPTF): Civil defense and homeland security: A short history of national preparedness efforts. Washington, DC: Department of Homeland Security, 2006.

Rubin C: (Ed.). Emergency management: The American experience 1900-2005 (2nd ed.). Fairfax, VA: Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI), 2007.

Stehr S: Community recovery and reconstruction following disasters. In A. Farazmand (Ed.), Handbook of crisis and emergency management (pp. 419-431). New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 2001.

Neal D, Phillips B: Effective emergency management: Reconsidering the bureaucratic approach. Disasters. 1995; 19 (4): 327-337.

Lindell M, Meier L: Planning effectiveness: Effectiveness of community planning for toxic chemical emergencies. J Am Plan Assoc. 1994; 60(2): 222-234.

Lindell M, Perry R: Preparedness for emergency response: Guidelines for the emergency planning process. Disasters. 2003; 27 (4): 336-350.

McEntire DA: The importance of multi- and interdisciplinary research on disasters and for emergency management. In DA McEntire (Ed.), Disciplines, Disasters and Emergency Management: The Convergence and Divergence of Concepts, Issues and Trends from the Research Literature (pp. 3-14) Charles C Thomas Publisher, LTD., 2007.

Blanchard BW: Outlines of competencies to develop successful 21st century hazard or disaster or emergency or risk managers. Emmitsburg, MD: FEMA Emergency Management Institute, 2003.

Drabek TE. Strategies for coordinating disaster responses. (Program on Environment and Behavior Monograph No. 61). Border, CO: Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, 2003.

Thiel A, Jennings C: (Eds.). Managing fire and emergency services (4th ed.) ICMA Press, 2012.

U.S. Fire Administration. (2017). U.S. Fire Statistics. Available at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/. Accessed June 16, 2017.

NFPA 1021: Standards for fire officer professional qualifications, 2014 edition. In NFPA national fire codes online. Available at http://codesonline.nfpa.org/. Accessed June 12, 2017.

Barr R, Eversole J: (Ed.). The fire chief's handbook (6th ed.). Tulsa, OK, USA: PennWell Corporation, 2003.

Buckman J: (Ed.). Chief fire officer's desk reference by international association of fire chiefs. USA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc., 2006.

Marinucci R: (Ed.). The fire chief's handbook (7th ed.). USA: PennWell, 2015.

Smeby LC: Fire and emergency services administration: Management and leadership practices. USA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2014.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). (2016). The college list: Colleges, universities, and institutions offering emergency management courses. Available at https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/collegelist/. Accessed June 23, 2017.

Neal D: Developing degree programs in disaster management: Some reflections and observations. Int J Mass Emerg Disasters. 2000; 18(3): 417-437.

Jensen J: The argument for a disciplinary approach to emergency management higher education. Emmitsburg, MD: Emergency Management Institute, 2010.

Alexander D: Towards the development of standards in emergency management training and education. Disaster Prev Manag. 2003; 12: 113-123.

Emergency Management Institute (EMI).(2014). IS-241.B: Decision making and problem solving. Available at https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-241.b. Accessed June 26, 2017.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). (2017). Distance learning (independence study). Available at https://training.fema.gov/is/. Accessed June 3, 2017.

Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA). (2017). Training and exercise. Available at http://www.dema.delaware.gov/services/calendar/Trng_Cal.shtml. Accessed June 26, 2017.

International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). (2017). Certification. Available at https://www.iaem.com/page.cfm?p=certification/intro. Accessed June 30, 2017.