What is National Emergency Management Awareness Month?
During August, emergency managers will conduct a coordinated, industry-wide awareness and advocacy campaign to promote the capabilities of emergency management and the role of emergency managers.
IMPORTANT: See the Public Awareness Campaign Page. Please use this link for your promotions during the August campaign.
Get Involved
Emergency management professionals are encouraged to reach out and meet with:
- Elected local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal leaders.
- Private sector and nonprofit leaders, including those from healthcare, universities, utilities, and other organizations.
- Organizational or community decision-makers who may influence emergency management.
Outreach can be more than an introductory email, letter, or conversation. Here are some creative ways to bring awareness to the emergency manager's role and their programs:
- Ask to present an overview of emergency management and the emergency manager's role at the next community board meeting (or wherever local officials regularly meet to conduct business).
- Invite elected officials to participate in a training or exercise opportunity.
- Invite local officials, decision-makers, and executives to tour the Emergency Operations Center.
- Contact local news networks to talk about the role of emergency management in the community.
- Submit opinion editorial articles to news outlets to share the story of emergency management with readers.
- Initiate a mural campaign in a local school to depict local emergency management, or conduct classroom presentations at local schools.
Awareness month activities should center around educating and advocating for the profession, with emergency managers playing an active role. Use IAEM's tools (in the Resource section below) to help with planning your activities.
Tell Us What You Have Planned or Accomplished!
2026 National Emergency Management Awareness Month Participation Survey – Help IAEM capture participation in National Emergency Management Awareness Month by sharing how you are getting involved this August. Activities may include social media campaigns, proclamations or resolutions, events, elected official engagement, community outreach, presentations, meetings (community or with elected leaders), and other efforts that raise awareness of emergency management.
Submit each activity separately through the Participation Survey and choose to be entered for a chance to receive one of four Amazon gift cards valued at $250, $150, $100, or $50.
Once you have completed one survey, you can return and add additional events by providing limited information.
What Is Our Story?
(Please share this on social media, with news media, or when presenting.)
Emergency managers are problem solvers - the ones you call 24/7/365 when an incident requires coordination across multiple services, agencies, or disciplines, even beyond traditional public safety. We help communities and corporations understand their risk, build resilience, navigate crises, and know what to do when disaster strikes.
We are Emergency Managers.
We are your neighbors. We serve rural communities and large cities. We advise corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies. We work in schools, hospitals, universities, and businesses. We are chief risk advisors for the communities, businesses, and organizations we serve—helping them prevent, mitigate, prepare for, and recover from disasters.
We always know who to call, we anticipate the needs, and we are never surprised by the phrase “This is unprecedented." We are ready.
We are disaster professionals, bridging gaps between agencies, businesses, and communities to build resilience. We connect resources, foster collaboration, and ensure that when crises happen, response efforts are seamless and effective.
We are more than lights and sirens. We are the professionals every community needs, just as much as fire, police, and EMS.
This is our story. Now, let's tell it.
Share your impact with these hashtags:Â #IAmEM #EMAwarenessMonth #KnowYourEmergencyManagerÂ
Use These Videos to Help Tell Why Emergency Managers are Important
Resources
- National EM Month Participation Calendar – A month-long guide of simple actions and ideas to help emergency managers raise awareness, share stories, and engage with the public, elected officials, and various partners throughout August.
- EM Month Promotional Kit – This kit includes sample social media posts, downloadable graphics, email templates, and sample articles to educate during National Emergency Management Awareness Month.
- New Release Templates - Use these templates to encourage your local news sources to write an article to highlight National Emergency Management Awareness Month and the importance of emergency management.
- National EM Month Proclamation Template – Use this as a sample template for Congressional Resolutions. The content could be modified for State or Local legislative resolutions.
- Elected Leader Letter Templates – Get involved. You can begin by writing a letter to your elected official, requesting support for the emergency management profession and inviting them to participate in events during National Emergency Management Awareness Month, or requesting a visit with them or a member of their staff. Use the template below that works for you.
- Elected Leader Letter Template (Local, Tribal, Territorial, State, Federal)
- Elected Leader Letter Template, Private IndustryÂ
- Elected Leader Template, Nonprofit or Volunteer
- Find and Contact Elected Officials Website – Use this site to identify and connect with your federal, state, and local elected officials
- Alumni Publication Article Template - Use this template to write an article for your university/college alumni magazine to highlight your current profession.
- Call to Action Template – Use this document to develop a call to action for a specific legislative priority/action.
- Advocating and Educating for Emergency Management – This resource explains the distinction between advocacy and education, providing information on how to get involved.
Share Your Story & Get Involved
Emergency Management Story Survey – Your voice and experience are unique, and your story can help others better understand the impact of the critical work we do. Share your experiences, perspectives, and insights to help tell the story of emergency management and the people behind it. Responses may be featured in National Emergency Management Awareness Month social media posts and campaign materials throughout August. Complete the survey now!
Get Updates
Follow the National Emergency Management Awareness Month social media accounts for information and resources.
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Use the official hashtags of National Emergency Management Awareness Month are #IAmEM #EMAwarenessMonth #KnowYourEmergencyManager.