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Emergency management is the function of organizations concerned with ensuring that the organization can function during and after a crisis.
Key concepts include preparation of people & the organization to prepare for crisis, respond to crisis, recover from crisis, and mitigate potential risks before the crisis occurs (or so that it does not happen again.) Emergency mangement functions are found both within government agencies and within key non-profit and private sector organizations. In the private sector, emergency management is often referred to as "business contunuity."
In the United States, the lead federal agency for emergency management is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Each state also has a state emergency management office, and most other levels of government have a similar office as well.
Emergency managers are generally trained throught a combination of education, experience, and certificate courses. There are several professional organizations that provide certification, including the International Association of Emergency Managers and DRI International.
An alternative definition of emergency management:
Emergency management is the continuous process by which all individuals, all groups and all communities manage hazards and the effects of disaster. The process involves mitigation and preparedness (pre-event/event) and response and recovery (event/post-event). Actions taken depend in part on perceptions of risk and event-generated need(s); effectiveness depends in part on how well activities are integrated. Activities at each level (individual, group, community) affect the other levels.
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