So it is written somewhere, upon high, that for one to move into the Emergency Management career field, one must obtain an accredited degree, from an actual accredited university. While they may be some exceptions, such as experience “in lieu” of degree, I have found that more often than not (cough always cough), employers are looking for someone with a degree. As such, I embarked on my journey to gain said degree in Emergency Management some time ago. As a late bloomer, it took me a while to decide on what degree I wanted to pursue. As I work full time as a quasi-firefighter, a full time brick and mortar college would not work for me, which limited my options. I wanted to become a doctor (big EMS fan), no online degree for that, I wanted to become a chemist (big HazMat fan) but again, no online degree. So I got to thinking, what career could I pursue that would allow me to chase my dreams of helping citizens in a crisis, and utilize my past experiences to better society: Emergency Management.
I knew that I wanted to pursue a degree in Emergency Management as soon as I found out what the job entailed: Helping the responders, who help the citizens. I can think of no greater honor than getting the right pieces in place at the right time for stricken citizens and wanton first responders. Having been on the “business end” of poor emergency management, it is my hope that I will never lose that sense of frustration as you are waiting around for a portable heater, or a canteen unit, or some other vital resource that for whatever reason cannot be tracked down. As an aside, I have also been that helpless dispatcher who is desperately trying to call the standby plumber/election/alarm maintenance, etc, but since the EAP has been checked since 1982, cannot contact that person because their number is now a dry cleaners…and they’re closed at 0 dark thirty in the morning. So that being said, I decided that the life of an Emergency Manager was for me, and set off about finding a reputable online college that would allow me to major in Emergency Management.
Now, please, don’t get me wrong, I believe that online colleges have progressed so much in the past 5 or so years, that going to them isn’t as taboo as it once was. A few years ago, you would get laughed at if you told folks that you were “going” to an online college, they would sneer and say “any idiot can get an online degree.” Times, however, have changed (thanks to big names colleges like University of Phoenix, etc.) and obtaining an online degree is deemed to be on par with going to a brick and mortar school…well, for the most part at least. So I decided upon a college that “matters” and set forth upon my marry way. Now, this college is fine, and I enjoy taking classes there. Most of the instructors are extremely knowledgeable, and understand the demands of the work/life/school balance that can, at times, be tricky to juggle. For example, I took an introduction to astronomy class, and the professor was an astrophysicist working for NASA. Needless to say, he fully understood the subject, and could speak on it at some length. Most of the other instructors posses some real world experience in the field in which they teach; police chiefs, emergency managers, risk management professionals, etc. That isn’t to say, however that the school is without its flaws.
As most everyone who is in the first responder field knows, the IC does not reside in the EOC. He/she is out, surveying the troops, sizing up the scene, and getting real time feedback for the troops on the ground. It has been said that one cannot lead from behind, and such is the case with emergency response. It is impossible for an engine company officer to properly size up a house fire from the station, and so too is it impossible for a SWAT officer to analyze a hostage standoff stationed thirty miles away. This, fact, however, does not seem to resonate with all that study in the emergency management career field, and I find that time after time, folks say that they would “IC” from the EOC. When folks write this in the discussion question, I always expect the instructor to come back and state that you cannot IC from the EOC, and even though the EOC may have its own internal IC, they are not the same, they never do. Now, this is clearly not a problem for them, but it is a problem for those of use who are looking to break into the career field. If someone is interviewing for a job, and has the same education that I do, it is not a stretch to believe that we were both taught the same way. Therefore, if one suggests that as the IC, they would do “x and y” it makes the rest of us that graduated from the college look bad.
While I don’t have the answer as to how to negate this falsehood, I would just like to offer a word of caution up to those that are in position to hire the next generation of emergency managers. Certainly there are those folks who, unlike me, did well in high school, didn’t join the military, and went straight into college, and come out 5 year later with a B.S. in Emergency Management and a MPA. Awesome for those folks, and I’m sure that most are true winners that understand the subtleties of the IC and EOC/EM distinction. There are those, of course, who do not, and that is okay as well, as they can be molded into great emergency mangers. That being said, experience still counts for something, and even though two candidates may have gone to the same school, and even though one may have a Masters degree, each should be tested on their knowledge and experience, not simply how many papers they can present.
As I embark on my mid-life journey, trying to bridge the gap between the fire service and emergency management, it is my sincere hope that when I do apply, I get a fair shake. I am not saying that I will be the most qualified, and certainly if not shouldn’t be offered the job, but in the age of “fast track” Masters programs, the man or woman who understands what it is like to stand around waiting for alarm maintenance at 0213, because a person’s house alarm will not go off, can surely bring something to the table that a 22 year old with a Masters and no experience, has yet to fully understand.
