Adam Crowe is the emergency management coordinator for Johnson County, Kan. He's responsible for the development, coordination and administration of community preparedness activities, including trainings, exercises, education, public presentations and public information. Crowe oversees a community prepared social media program, an emergency prepared neighborhood program and a citizen corps program, as well as emergency management interns. 

Why did you decide to pursue this career field?
I thought emergency management was a unique opportunity to help people in need in an exciting environment that was constantly changing due to the hazards, people and impact involved.

What type of preparation did you do to get into this field?
I started out doing some localized volunteer work through CERT [community emergency response teams] and local churches and then went back to get my master's degree in public administration with a concentration in emergency management. During that time, I was hired into the field and began to acquire additional knowledge, skills and abilities through on-the-job learning, independent study courses and advanced training opportunities provided by state emergency management agencies and the federal government.

What types of classes and projects did you have to do?
I took a variety of basic public administration classes on financial management and human resources, but focused on emergency management specific classes such as emergency response planning, disaster recovery, mitigation and homeland security issues. Perhaps the most interesting (and unorthodox) assignment was to write a terrorist manifesto for a simulated terrorist group to try and evaluate the considerations of such a group as well as the hazard analysis and vulnerability that might need to be planned for on the professional response side.

How did your education help you in your career?
My education was a tremendous foundation to be able to stand in the field and begin the process of refining my knowledge, skills and abilities. I think the formal education route will be a positive direction for the future of emergency management regardless of the type of application that is ultimately executed.

What was your career path like in this field? 
My career path started as a volunteer then moved into public health emergency planning. From there I transitioned into an emergency management office of a medium-sized jurisdiction.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
The skills required for any emergency manager are diverse. There is a great expectation that you can successfully plan for various operations and execute that said plan while still staying flexible and dynamic. In addition, there is a strong need and expectation for emergency managers to have a keen since of politics, public opinion and relationship dynamics.

What do you do on a typical workday?
A typical workday is a misnomer. There are constantly 9 to 15 projects being juggled at any given moment with various deadlines and expectations. These projects include planning, administrative, public outreach, training and exercise just to name a few.

Do you plan to advance to another position within your career field? 
Career advancement is certainly an option when the right opportunity, timing and location arise.

What type of person do you think is best suited for a job in your field?
Dynamic, creative, task oriented and a good manager of their time.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
I would recommend those looking at emergency management be flexible with their definition of the career. There are many variations and all of them provide excellent opportunities to begin to learn the ropes, make contacts and to begin to understand how everything interconnects.