Emergency Management Day Set for Oct. 20 at Western Illinois University
MACOMB/Moline, IL — Employment of emergency management directors is projected to grow six percent in the next nine years, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with about 1,000 openings for emergency management directors projected each year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Western Illinois University’s Emergency Management (EM) program will host an Emergency Management Day on Wednesday, Oct. 20 for prospective students to learn more about the degree program within WIU’s School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA). The event will be held from 9 a.m.-noon in the Tanner Hall parking lot, adjacent to the WIU Emergency Operations Center, on the Macomb campus. The event will provide participants to experience first-hand all-hazards search and rescue techniques and survival techniques, while learning more about highly desired, well-paid and critical profession.
WIU’s EM degree program was established in 2006 in response to the need for highly skilled and trained emergency management personnel to address disasters. WIU’s Emergency Management curriculum, which is the only program within the state credentialed by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, has a fully operational Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on site and is the only program in the nation that meets the standards set by FEMA. WIU’s Emergency Management program is the first four-year program in Illinois to offer a B.S. degree specifically in Emergency Management.
WIU’s program was completely overhauled in 2020 to better meet the needs of students within the program and their careers following graduation. Majors at WIU have the benefit of hands-on training and numerous other learning opportunities as a result of a collaborative 
partnership between WIU’s GIS Center, the School of LEJA and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute (ILETSBEI) based at WIU.
“We reviewed and revised the program as there is a growing and expansive number of emergencies and disasters occurring worldwide, and as such, there is a rising employment need for professional and qualified responders,” said School of LEJA Director Jill Myers. “The newly-re-designed program offers a strategic/operational track for those seeking employment in disaster management and a tactical track for those seeking employment in first response agencies.”
Myers added that WIU’s Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management is unique because it meets all of the standards set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other emergency management-related agencies and initiatives. The curriculum complies with FEMA-endorsed accreditation requirements; Search and Rescue (SAR) accreditation requirements; Army 525 and Air Force 10-2051 training expectations required for civilian contractors; FBI, CIA and DEA competencies; knowledge related to National Incident Management System (NIMS) and modern technology, including GIS, drones, next generation 911 technology, digital transformation and comprehensive data systems to promote a scientific understanding and response to natural disasters, earth systems, climate and weather, while encouraging collaborative efforts with homeland security, law enforcement and fire science professionals.
Prospective students who take part in the Oct. 20 Emergency Management Day are also eligible for an automatic $1,000 WIU Visitor’s Scholarship for attending the event. Register at wiu.edu/coehs/leja/emergencymanagementday.php.
For more information on WIU’s Emergency Management program, visit wiu.edu/academics/em.
