Careers

Depending on the credential you are pursuing, you can expect to apply for positions such as:

• Emergency Program Coordinator
• Emergency Planner
• Exercise Design Facilitator
• Training and Exercise Coordinator
• Business Continuity Planner
• Security Specialist
• Director of Emergency Management
• Director of Safety and Security

Emergency Management and Security professionals are employed with government agencies, crown corporations and private businesses. Some examples include:

• First Response Agencies (police, fire, ambulance)
• Local Authorities (city and municipal emergency programs)
• Federal, Provincial and Regional Government Agencies
  • Provincial Emergency Programs
  • Regional Emergency Programs
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  • Public Safety Canada
  • Canadian Border Services Agency
  • Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
  • Health Canada and Provincial Health Authorities
• Crown Corporations and Utilities
  • Transportation Authorities (TransLink, Coast Mountain Bus, BC Ferries)
  • Hydro companies (BC Hydro)
  • Gas companies
  • Telecommunications companies
  • Lottery
• Healthcare (hospitals, care homes, clinics)
• Education (universities, colleges)
• Corporate Safety and Security
• Private Security Agencies
• Recreation and Tourism (ski hills, parks, casinos, sports arenas)
• Natural Resources (mining, oil and gas, forestry)
• Other Private Organizations
• Private Consulting
• Volunteer Organizations (Red Cross, Salvation Army)

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a first responder to pursue a career in Emergency Management. If you have strong planning, organization and communication skills and work well in stressful situations, you may be well suited to a career in this field.

Here are some sample position descriptions to give you an idea of what a typical job would entail:

• Emergency Program Coordinator (Local Authority)
• Emergency Planner (Healthcare)
• Director of Safety and Security (Private Business)

If you’re a recent high school grad, our Bachelor of Emergency & Security Management Studies is an ideal program. Not only will you gain a solid foundation in emergency management and security studies, but you also learn strong business fundamentals. With this degree, you can apply for entry-level positions in both emergency management and security. Note that you can first complete our Diploma in Emergency & Security Management and then ladder into the degree.

It is highly recommended that you supplement your studies with some relevant work and volunteer experience. This will enable you to apply for positions in the field immediately upon graduation:

• Work experience: Any position in an office, communication or project coordination environment where you learn skills such as standard office procedures, computers, organization and coordination are idea; Any job that provides additional experience in safety, first aid, emergency management or security is also ideal. Job title examples could include Communications Coordinator, Office Assistant, Project Assistant or Research Assistant. Part-time positions in loss prevention, safety and security could also be an asset.
• Volunteer experience: Volunteering with Emergency Social Services or Search and Rescue within your community is a great way to gain some experience in emergency management and jump-start your career. And as a volunteer, you may qualify for additional free courses through the JIBC. Other organizations to consider are St. John’s Ambulance, Red Cross, the Salvation Army and any other not-for-profit disaster assistance agency.

If you’ve just graduated from a college or university program and are looking to supplement your studies to pursue a career in emergency management or security, we recommend the following programs:

• Our Emergency Management Certificate will supplement your degree and give you the work-ready hands-on training you need to fulfill the role of Emergency Program Assistant or Emergency Program Coordinator for your local community, a government agency or with private business.
• Our Diploma in Emergency & Security Management will give you a foundation in both emergency management and security studies along with business fundamentals that will enable you to apply for positions in both emergency management and security.
• Our Bachelor of Emergency & Security Management Studies will provide further specialized study in emergency management and security and position you for future management and leadership positions in the field.

If you’re looking to pursue a management position, and you do not have a degree in business administration, we recommend you complete our Bachelor of Emergency & Security Management Studies.

In addition to your studies, we recommend you gain some work and volunteer experience. Please see the section above for suggestions

As an adult learner, you likely have diverse education and experience that may very well be relevant to the fields of emergency management and security. We recommend you contact us so we can discuss your background and recommend the best course of study and work/volunteer experience to meet your needs. Please contact us at emergency@jibc.ca. In general, we recommend:

• Our Emergency Management Certificate will provide the work-ready hands-on training you need to fulfill the role of Emergency Program Assistant or Emergency Program Coordinator for your local community, a government agency or with private business. You can take individual courses before signing up for the whole program.
• Our Diploma in Emergency & Security Management will give you a foundation in both emergency management and security studies along with business fundamentals that will enable you to apply for positions in both emergency management and security.
• Our Bachelor of Emergency & Security Management Studies will provide further specialized study in emergency management and security and position you for future management and leadership positions in the field.

As a public safety professional, you likely already have significant training and experience. You may be looking to upgrade your skills, gain new skills or move into a related field. We offer a number of educational options to suit your needs:

• If you’re looking to gain specialist experience and take over exercising at your organization, we recommend our Emergency Management Exercise Design Certificate. You can take individual courses or complete the entire certificate.
• If you have experience, but no education to back it up, we recommend our Emergency Management Certificate. You can choose from a variety of electives to best suit your particular position.
• If you’re looking to move into a position in security or a position that combines emergency management and security, we recommend our Diploma in Emergency & Security Management or our Bachelor of Emergency & Security Management Studies
• If you’re looking to move into a leadership position, we recommend our Diploma in Emergency & Security Management or our Bachelor of Emergency & Security Management Studies
• If you’re just looking to upgrade your skills and take one-off courses, please check out our Emergency Management Certificate page. We offer new courses all the time to reflect the changes in emergency management. Perhaps consider our Introduction to GIS in Emergency Management or Introduction to Business Continuity courses?

JIBC is a public post-secondary institution with degree-granting authority provided through the Ministry of Advanced Education, Province of British Columbia. This means that you can be assured that your JIBC certificate, diploma or degree will meet the highest of quality standards and be recognized by employers across Canada and internationally.