Emergency planning/management officer : Training

Newemergency planning entrants are usually required to have relevant qualifications that confirm a particular range of skills and competencies. However, a first role, such as assistant emergency planning officer within a local authority, provides the opportunity to learn from more experienced professionals. Responsibilities in this role increase with experience. Hands-on learning is usually supported by in-house courses and external training. Training may cover specific emergency planning topics as well as soft skills such as project management, time management and communication.

Keeping in touch with emerging issues and developments in legislation is essential for both new and more established emergency planning professionals. As this is a developing industry, there is a lot of scope for joining in with new initiatives and projects and helping to shape public safety. Reviewing the impact and implications of specific national and international disasters as they occur also provides learning opportunities.

As well as a range of courses, workshops and special events, the Emergency Planning Society (EPS)  operates a continuing professional development (CPD) scheme to support its members in broadening their professional skills. Other professional bodies offer training courses. The Emergency Planning College , the government’s training centre for crisis management and emergency planning, provides a number of professional work-based learning qualifications. In addition, the Health Protection Agency provides health related emergency planning courses while the police also deliver relevant training courses in operational planning and risk assessment. Funding and support for this type of training depends on individual employers.

Training opportunities include:

• crowd and event safety management;
• avian and pandemic influenza;
• engaging with voluntary organisations.