Internships
The Emergency Management Internship Program is an opportunity to develop and use knowledge and skills acquired in the local and county emergency management environments.
This learning experience will allow students to become acquainted with the workplace environment and will provide networking opportunities that could lead to future employment. During the internship, projects are focused on the essential functions of emergency management: prevention, protection, response, recovery and mitigation. Projects are also focused on introspection, professional growth and self-assessment of professional development. Applicants are asked to come to the table with project ideas. Examples include the development of accessible recovery resource list, community needs assessment program, verifying and mapping shelter data, as well as developing mitigation plans.
It is each student’s responsibility to find, develop and complete a project that represents the essential functions of emergency management: prevention, protection, response, recovery and mitigation. The role of the Emergency Management Division is to guide and advise the process.
Core Competencies:
- Demonstrate an understanding of prevention, protection, response, recovery and mitigation.
- Communicate effectively with staff and stakeholders.
- Demonstrate an understanding of FEMA’s Community Lifelines.
- Demonstrate knowledge of short- and long-term considerations for recovery of all ages, populations, and communities affected by a disaster or public health/medical emergency.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the Whole Community Approach.
Recommended Preparatory Training:
- IS-230 Fundamentals of Emergency Management
- IS-241 Decision Making and Problem Solving
- IS-2000 National Preparedness Goal and System Overview
- IS-2001 Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA)
- IS-2901 Introduction to Community Lifelines
Time Commitments:
Interns should plan ahead to commitments of the intern program. Students are responsible to complete any required hours though their university and work with their university’s timeline. It is asked that interns be in the office a minimum of twice a week.
The Emergency Management Division planners work 50/50 in/outside of the office. In most cases, the intern will be invited to accompany the preceptor during field time. However, the intern should focus on project completion and should not let field visits hamper progress on their project.
Interns must discuss, and agree upon, their internship start and end dates with their EMA advisor. It is important for students to confer with them on how they will be expected to work on their assigned projects. Students will be allowed to work out of the Emergency Management Division office when at least 1 full time staff is present.
Areas of interest:
Operational Readiness
Ensure that the Emergency Operations Center is fully functional and ready to activate in an emergency at a moment’s notice. This includes coordination of processes and procedures, implementation and maintenance of technology, and management of complex systems such as GIS mapping, mass data collection, collation & analysis, public emergency alerting, and EOC facilities and security.
Training & Exercise
Develop training and exercises to ensure emergency responders in the field and at the EOC are ready to coordinate and support emergency response.
Planning
Maintain the County's Emergency Operations Plans, coordinates Local Emergency Plans, and consults on a variety of Standard Operating Procedures.
Community Preparedness & Engagement
Work with our communities, engaging with local community emergency management coordinators (EMCs) and other local stakeholders to prepare Lancaster County for emergencies and disasters. The office engages with local partners using a variety of initiatives to ensure Lancastrians will be able to help once another after a disaster.
Apply Now
Questions? Contact:
Brooke Goodling
Community Resilience Coordinator
bgoodling@lancastercountypa.gov