This is responsible technical, managerial, and administrative work involving planning, programming, budgeting, coordinating, and managing all aspects of the comprehensive City-wide Emergency Management Plan. The Emergency Manager is responsible for ensuring that strategies, policies, and plans are developed and formulated to achieve a plan that supports the goals and objectives of the City Manager. Duties may include supervising and administering all emergency and non-emergency preparedness activities; developing exercises and drills to test and evaluate emergency plans and procedures; analyzing and preparing statistics and records for educational purposes; and facilitating communication and teamwork among city departments and external agencies. Collaboration/Relationship Management: 

• Coordinates all workflow, following the established chain of command. 
• Collaborates with other officials to prepare and analyze damage assessments following disasters or emergencies.
• Develops and maintains professional relationships that foster participation in related functions and responsibilities in emergency management.
• Consults with officials of local and area governments, schools, hospitals, and other institutions to determine their needs and capabilities in a natural disaster or other emergency.
• Develops and maintains liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
• Keeps informed of activities or changes that could affect the likelihood of an emergency, as well as those that could affect response efforts and details of plan implementation. 
• Attends meetings, conferences, and workshops related to emergency management to learn new information and develop working relationships with other emergency management specialists.

Coordination: 

• Conducts surveys to determine the types of emergency-related needs that must be addressed in disaster planning or provide technical support to others conducting such surveys.
• Coordinates disaster response or crisis management activities such as evacuations, public sheltering, and implementing special needs plans and programs.
• Coordinates multi-department planning for special event functions as a contributing member of the City of Lakeland's Special Event Planning Committee.
• Maintains and updates all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
• Proposes alteration of emergency response procedures based on regulatory changes, technological changes, or knowledge gained from outcomes of previous emergency situations.
• Reviews emergency plans of individual organizations such as medical facilities to ensure their adequacy; studies emergency plans used elsewhere to gather information for future plan development.
• Applies for federal and state funding for emergency management-related needs as directed; administers such grants and reports on their progress.
• Provides communities with assistance in applying for federal funding for emergency management facilities, radiological instrumentation, and other related items. 

Application: 

• Designs and administers emergency/disaster preparedness training courses that teach people how to respond to major emergencies and disasters effectively.
• Develops and performs tests and evaluations of emergency management plans in accordance with state and federal regulations.
• Prepares emergency status reports describing response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
• Prepares plans that outline operating procedures to be used in response to disasters/emergencies such as hurricanes, nuclear accidents, and terrorist attacks and recovery from these events.
• Inspects facilities and equipment such as emergency management centers and communications equipment to determine their operational and functional capabilities in emergency situations.
• Develops and implements training procedures and strategies for all identified hazards.
• Develops instructional materials for the public and makes presentations to groups to provide information on emergency plans and their implementation process.
• Inventories and distributes nuclear, biological, and chemical detection and contamination equipment, providing instruction in its maintenance and use[RH1] [RH2] .
• Trains local groups in preparing long-term plans compatible with federal and state plans.
• Develops and maintains Municipal Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan for the City of Lakeland, working in partnership with Polk County Emergency Management.
• May be required to work alternate hours as necessary
• Position is designated Mission Critical.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS: 

• Communicates clearly with subordinates in both emergency and non-emergency situations.
• Ability to interact with City Management, Department Heads, Elected Officials, the public, court personnel, law enforcement agencies, Federal, State, and County agencies, local Fire Districts, and other organizations.
• Ability to deal courteously and firmly with the public and maintain good public relations.
• Performs related work as required.

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in Emergency Management, Public Safety, Non-profit Management, Public Administration, or a closely related field.
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in Emergency Management or public safety.
• Four (4) years of experience in a supervisory or management capacity.
• Completion of ICS 100, 200, 700, and 800 required.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Must possess a valid driver's license. 
• Must maintain a valid telephone number.
• Completion of ICS 300 and ICS 400 required within one (1) year of employment.
• Attainment of FEMA Professional Development Series certificate within one (1) year of employment.
• Completion of L-449 Incident Command System Curricula Train the Trainer Course within 1 year of employment.
• May be required to pass an elevated background check provided by the City of Lakeland Police Department upon hire.

Knowledge of: 

• Principles and practices of current emergency planning, training, and management. 
• Principles and practices of policy development and implementation.
• Principles and practices of leadership, motivation, team building, and conflict resolution.
• Principles and practices of business correspondence and report writing.
• Pertinent local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations.
• Budgeting procedures and techniques.
• Principles and practices of organizational analysis and management.
• Principles and practices of supervision, training, and personnel management.
• Modern office procedures and computer software and equipment applications.

Ability to: 

• Supervises and develops employees: plans, directs, coaches, counsels, mentors, delegates, disciplines, trains, and evaluates. 
• Speaks, reads, and writes the English language. 
• Communicates effectively verbally and in writing. 
• Organizes, directs, and implements a comprehensive emergency services program.
• Analyzes budget and technical reports; interprets and evaluates staff reports; knows related federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and codes; observes performance and evaluates staff; problem solves; remembers and apples various personnel rules; and explains and interprets policy.
• Prepares and administers a budget.
• Supervises, trains, and evaluates personnel.
• Interprets and explains Emergency Preparedness policies and procedures.
• Analyzes problems, identifies alternative solutions, projects consequences of proposed actions, and implements recommendations supporting goals.
• Acts quickly and calmly in emergency situations; be effective in a fast-paced emergency environment and make appropriate and timely decisions.
• Works unusual or prolonged hours during emergencies, disasters, training programs, or preparedness exercises.
• Gains cooperation through discussion and persuasion.
• Works with various cultural and ethnic groups tactfully and effectively.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with those contacted during work.
• Communicates clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Maintains a high level of professionalism and confidentiality. 

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee is frequently required to talk, hear, sit, stand, walk, bend, stoop, kneel, and is occasionally required to run, climb, balance, crouch, and crawl; is frequently required to lift and carry up to 25 pounds; is occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and to exert up to 100 pounds of force. 
• The employee is required to perform strenuous tasks requiring muscular strength and coordination. 
• The employee is occasionally required to maintain body balance while ascending or descending ladders or open stairs and to maintain body equilibrium while bending at the waist or the knees. 
• The employee must frequently stand or sit for an extended period without significant rest. 
• The employee is routinely required to reach with hands and arms; work with the hand or hands in handling, seizing, holding, or grasping motions and with the fingers in fingering, picking, and pinching actions to operate objects, tools, or controls. 
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• The job risks exposure to the following environmental hazards: bright/dim light, dusts, pollen, extreme heat/cold, wet/humid conditions, extreme noise levels, fumes, noxious odors, traffic, moving machinery, electrical shock, heights, disease/pathogens, toxic/caustic chemicals, explosives, and violence.

All City of Lakeland positions are subject to testing (e.g. written, oral, performance, computerized, interview and/or any combination). Candidates selected for testing will be notified via email or telephone. Please check your email and telephone messages regularly, including "junk" folders. Test times and locations to be announced.