Question from a Reader

Question from a Reader

Recently a reader sent in a question asking how she, as a graduate of both a Police Foundations and Emergency Management Programs could get more involved in Emergency Management. She is currently working in Security at a major hospital in Durham. She has concerns she will not be taken seriously in the field due to her age and lack of experience.

Well I agree with the reader. My former students in the Emergency Management Program at Durham College had similar concerns, but I advised them we must all start somewhere in our chosen fields. Rarely do people leave school and immediately enter their chosen field at the position they aspire to be in. Do not give up hope.

To answer the reader's questions, I suggested she join an appropriate organization and become involved with it. This will help you network with others working in the field or who share your goal. The three I belong to are as follows:

Disaster Recovery Information Exchange, Toronto Chapter - www.drie.org

Ontario Association of Emergency Managers - www.oaem.ca

The International Association of Emergency Managers, Canada - www.iaem-canada.ca

Annually they participate in a conference held in Toronto organized by the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness - www.ccep.ca The World Conference on Disaster Management invites people from around the world to share their experiences and network with others in the field - www.wcdm.org

An excellent way to become involved would be to consider volunteering with your employer. This reader may consider joining the hospital's Emergency Preparedness and Response Team. Usually the hospital's Emergency Plan would be tested annually and would involve many staff to plan, coordinate and facilitate an exercise to test its reliability. This would be done in addition to the regular Fire Drills. Becoming involved with a team working on the plan would exposure you to the whole process and allows you to cite the experience on your resume when applying for positions in the field. Some employers will expect this experience. In addition the experience will allow you to network with other divisions within your place of employment, and partnering agencies. The Region's Public Health Office, EMS office and Office of Emergency Management may have involvement in the process. In addition the Ministry of Health may also become involved in the testing of the Emergency Plan for the Hospital.

Should your employer not have an opening with their Emergency Planning Committee, you may consider volunteering for a number of other agencies also involved in Emergency Planning in the Region of Durham listed below:

The Canadian Red Cross - www.redcross.ca

The Seventh Day Adventists - www.adra.org

The Ontario Volunteer Emergency Response Team - www.overt.ca

Since the Region of Durham hosts two Ontario Power Generation Facilities and plans on an expansion in the near future, this would be a source of employment for those wanting to enter the field. They run regular tests of their Emergency Plans to test their reliability and employ full time staff to look after this. Starting out in a Security Position would be a good start and when hired volunteering for the Emergency Management Team and offering to take their in-house training would show your initiative and interest in the area.  Their web site is www.opg.com

The Provincial Government is another good source for employment. Recently they were looking for Emergency Planners in their Oshawa Finance Office. However most positions in Emergency Management require you to work out of their downtown Toronto offices. Every Friday their employment web site is updated and the opportunities can be found posted here www.gojobs.gov.on.ca

As long as one is willing to put in the time, beyond school, I do not see a problem in entering the field at some point. Networking and volunteering to gain actual hands on experience are still the best methods to employ in reaching your goal. Good luck to all.

Comments

[Hal]

I would also like to throw the St. John Ambulance name into the ring. They worked hand in hand with Red Cross during SARS (distribution of isolation kits) and hospitals (screening for signs of the outbreak) and paramedics (providing back up drivers for ambulances and possibly attendants, although it never came down to that). And also with the flooding in the Peterborough and Belleville areas. They also assisted with the James Bay residents being sheltered in the evacuation centers in south-western Ontario due to flooding in recent months. The volunteers with St. John Ambulance have the opportunity to assist in a wide variety of situations, all under the banner of their Volunteer Medical First Responders. Since their services may be needed all over an evacuation/reception center they often get to see what all the other agencies are up to as well. The training you get from them will definitely complement your other Emergency Management training and they are well known among the other key agencies. You can check them out at www.sja.ca.