Earlier this week, a fairly significant earthquake hit Virginia and was felt along the East Coast. Luckily, there were few lasting problems, but today, as I’m writing this post, the Eastern United States is preparing for yet another natural disaster as Hurricane Irene heads up the coast. Disasters aren’t limited to this part of the country, though. Communities around the world deal with fires, tornadoes, blizzards, and more, and workers are needed in emergency management to help keep everyone as safe as possible. Let’s take a look at some of the job opportunities in this field:

• Federal Emergency Management

Whenever a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or other major issue occurs, the government takes control of the situation to organize helpers and put a response plan into action. FEMA jobs include training specialists, community planners, education officers, and more, and in all of these positions, there’s the potential to earn a six-figure salary. Finding FEMA jobs is as easy as checking out the open positions at their website; keep in mind that for some of these positions, you need clearances or special education.

• Nonprofit Emergency Response

Nonprofit organizations, especially those in the healthcare field, often have emergency response positions open for workers who want to be in the field, helping people. There are positions for doctors and nurses, which require licensing in your state, as well as positions for organizers and EMTs. Some emergency responders from nonprofit organizations, especially with national groups like the Red Cross are the first who go into an affected area to provide care, so to work in this kind of position you have to be calm and collected, even in stressful conditions.

• Firefighter

Earthquakes are common in certain areas, while floods are common in other areas and so forth. However, no matter where you live, fires are a risk. Working as a firefighter means that you’ll be a first responder when a resident or business catches fire, and you may also help with wildfires, fires at the scenes of accidents, or other areas where fire is a risk. Some communities have volunteer departments, but in most large towns and cities, the fire department is government funded, so you can find a paying position. Some locations, such as power plants, also have firefighters on staff.

Emergency management doesn’t always put you at risk, but this can occasionally be the case, especially if you are a first responder. Interested in the thrill of a dangerous career? Check out the JobMonkey guide to dangerous jobs.

Each Thursday, I answer a reader question about their job search process. I love hearing from you, so please don’t be shy — send me your questions via email or leave a comment in the section below.  Check out past Reader Mailbags, where we cover everything from job search tips for college grads to legitimate work from home jobs.

Dear JobMonkey,

Thank you,
John in Chicago

Dear John,

Thanks for your question. You are on the right track because the job of a firefighter is always one of those positions that seem to make the list of recession-proof jobs.

Of course, a quick Google search will reveal that many, many towns are experiencing hiring freezers and some are even cutting back their rescue budgets — including laying off experienced salaried fire fighters in lieu of volunteer firefighters.  That said, with your experience as an EMT, you’d definitely be a valuable member of the team.

As far as salary and pension go, that will really vary by city and state. Pensions, in general, are becoming an increasingly rare benefit — especially in this era of dwindling local budgets. According to payscale.com, the three states with the highest median salary for firefighters are California, New York and Illinois.

For more on firefighter pay, check out JobMonkey’s article on the topic. There is also plenty of information on the fire fighter application process and recruit training if you want to do some more research before you make your career change.

Good luck with your decision! I think either way, you can’t go wrong.

Hey, did you catch the newest section over on JobMonkey about becoming a firefighter? We cover the different types of fire rescue jobs, the (very involved) firefighter application and firefighter examination process, the life and schedule of a fire fighter and salary information and job outlook.

Do you already know you want to be a fire fighter and just need some help finding the right job for you? Check out our new fire fighter job board.  Our user-friendly database lists thousands of openings around the country.