Civil Preparedness Coordinator

Disasters like floods, hurricanes, bombings, and nuclear contamination all cause people to panic. These people may leave their wits behind and place themselves in greater danger as they run about. To help them feel secure in these situations, plans must be put in place, telling them what they should do and who’s in charge. Civil Preparedness Coordinators develop those plans.

If you’re a Civil Preparedness Coordinator, you have a reputation for being a negative thinker, as you spend your workday thinking of all the terrible things that could happen in your community. You look over newspaper reports about emerging threats, and come up with plans to help your community deal with those threats.

As a Civil Preparedness Coordinator, you work closely with the fire and police departments. You attend meetings with Representatives from these organizations on a weekly or monthly basis, where you outline the plans you’ve developed and explain what these professionals are supposed to do when a disaster occurs. For example, you may tell police to set up a perimeter around the site of a nuclear disaster, and the Firemen to rush to the scene and douse the reactor with water.

You also figure out what building can be used as a temporary shelter. You outline each step carefully and precisely, and even hold simulations to make sure the fire and police departments know exactly what to do.

If a disaster does strike, you may not be asked to take control. In most cases, you’ll simply be consulted if people have questions about the plan. In other communities, you’ll be required to put the plan in motion, and direct the troops as they fight the problem.