Professionalism

1. Professionalism A Vital Principle in Emergency Management

2. Emergency Management in the Past • What are the common characteristics of a typical emergency manager 10-20 years ago? • How have emergency managers changed over time?

3. Emergency Management Today • Emergency management is changing and being transformed in remarkable ways. • There is more “professionalism” today as compared to the past.

4. Professionalism • The word “professionalism” implies • A career that is followed to acquire income • To be engaged in employment that requires specialized knowledge • An expert in a particular occupation • A person involved in a recognized discipline or field

5. Professionalism and EM • In the context of emergency management, the term “professional” implies that one has acquired the necessary knowledge skills to help communities prevent and prepare for disaster response and recovery operations.

6. The Professional Emergency Manager • Drabek sought to identify what makes emergency managers successful • Study included a two-tiered methodology • Researched 12 emergency management directors to determine what qualities make them successful • Compared these directors to other emergency managers in 50 additional cities and counties

7. The Professional Emergency Manager (cont.) • Successful emergency managers: • Had specialized knowledge • Possessed several unique qualities • Performed emergency management functions effectively

8. Specialized Knowledge • Understood emergency management law and regulations • Were aware of the many organizations involved in disasters • Were certified by professional organizations

9. Unique Qualities • Communicate and manage human resources • Maintain composure under pressure • Had expertise in volunteer management, military planning, or technology

10. Perform Functions Effectively • Went beyond a traditional civil defense perspective of disasters • Were involved with many different stakeholders • Were valued for their accomplishments

11. Importance of Knowledge • “A few short decades ago, the men and women who worked and accomplished a great deal in the field of emergency management often did not hold university degrees. If they did, it was usually in a topic unrelated to their endeavors, let alone in emergency/hazards management itself” (Thomas and Mileti 2003, 19). • This precedent needs to change

12. Education • FEMA’s Higher Education Initiative has expanded academic programs • Degrees help students acquire broad KSAs, avoid mistakes, equip them with tools, increase earning potential and make better decisions

13. Training • “Training is really continuing education or job qualification activity” (Thomas and Mileti 2003, 8) • Formal training from FEMA and states • Informal training from colleagues and peers

14. Certification • Emergency managers and their programs can be certified in two ways: • Receive Certified Emergency Management credential • Be recognized by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program

15. Standards • Provide ways to professionalize the field of emergency management • Are to be promoted or pursued as a way to regulate or self-regulate • Have been created by NFPA

16. Importance of Leadership • “Leadership” can be defined as an ability to motivate people and organizations to accomplish goals • In emergency management, leadership implies managerial skills that result in the coordination of effective disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery operations

17. Executive Core Qualifications • Leading change • Leading people • Driving results • Business acumen • Building coalitions (see Kushma, Benini and Holdeman 2008).

18. Leading Change • Includes strategic planning for an organization that is based on vision, creativity and innovative thinking. • E.g., moving toward a more proactive form of emergency management

19. Leading People • Leading people refers to team building and conflict resolution • E.g., motivating people to become involved in mitigation or preparedness

20. Driving Results • Driving results deals with goal accomplishment, customer service and accountability • E.g., reducing disaster losses

21. Business Acumen • Business acumen covers the management of human and material resources for efficiency • E.g., oversight of budgets, employees and volunteers

22. Building Coalitions • Building coalitions includes persuasion, negotiation and networking to get others to buy into your objectives • E.g., alignment with key stakeholders

23. Ethics in EM • An important responsibility of emergency managers is to understand ethical issues and promote such considerations • There are many things that emergency managers should not do • Other dilemmas are not resolved so easily

24. Apathy and EM • Advocacy suggests being a champion of the profession and promoting the interests of emergency managers

25. The Importance of Advocacy • Understand the politics of disasters • Change elected officials tendency to neglect long-term issues • Gain a better idea of the budgeting process • Counter citizen apathy • Provide flyers in utility bills

26. The Importance of Advocacy (cont). • Participate in social events • Educate businesses • Take self-improvement classes • Monitor legislative activities • Stay on top of the latest research • Join professional associations

27. Conclusion • EM has changed • It is more professional due to education, training, certification and standards • Leadership is important for EM as are ethics and advocacy