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National Emergency Management Awareness Month

The International Association of Emergency Managers is excited to announce AUGUST 2025 is the inaugural National Emergency Management Awareness Month!

Visit KnowYourEM (Public Awareness Month Page)

Read the Press Release

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.


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) and the instructional webinar to help with planning your activities.

Tell Us What You Have Planned or What You Have Accomplished!

Help us see the impact of this month. Register each event/activity you plan or schedule. This includes proclamations, social media campaigns, meetings (community or with elected leaders), events, and any other activity you are doing to raise awareness.

Once you have completed one survey, you can return and add additional events by providing limited information. 

Register Your Event

 


National Emergency Management Awareness Month 2025: Informational Webinar

IAEM-USA 2nd Vice President Todd DeVoe, CEM, moderated a discussion with IAEM-USA President Carrie Speranza, CEM, IAEM-USA Government Affairs Committee Chair Mary Jo Flynn-Nevins, CEM, and IAEM Government Affairs Director Thad Huguley. Watch this webinar to learn what National Emergency Management Awareness Month is, who it is for, and how to participate. The panelists provide tips on effectively engaging with local, state, and federal officials.


How Can You Help Now?

The IAEM-USA Community and Member Engagement Committee (CMEC) and the Government Affairs Committee (GAC) are developing toolkits to help emergency managers tell the story of the profession during National Emergency Management Awareness Month. 

  1. Campaign Materials: IAEM will share social media toolkits, resolution samples, email templates, guidance on engaging elected officials, and more.
  2. Outreach Inspiration
  3. Storytelling: We aim to showcase the remarkable work of emergency managers worldwide. Do you have a story that should be featured? Fill out the Member Highlight Campaign Survey to tell us your story. You may be featured during the National Emergency Management Awareness Month on IAEM's social media.

Share your input on campaign materials, outreach inspiration, and storytelling with IAEM by emailing the CMEC leadership at communitymemberengagement@iaem.com.


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: #IAmEM #EMAwarenessMonth #KnowYourEmergencyManager 

 

Use This Video to Help Tell Why Emergency Managers are Important

 


What is Emergency Management?

Emergency management ensures communities and organizations are prepared to respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters by creating, coordinating, and managing systems that save lives, minimize damage to property and infrastructure, mitigate future risks, and restore communities and organizations post-disaster.

Emergency management is a critical function that identifies, assesses, and mitigates risks to ensure the resilience of communities and organizations. It leads crisis preparedness, response coordination, and recovery efforts by working across disciplines, sectors, and jurisdictions.

During National Emergency Management Awareness Month, please share how you joined the profession and how it impacts those you serve.


Resources

Get Updates

Follow the National Emergency Management Awareness Month social media accounts for information and resources.


 
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