Emergency management is a growing profession and Brandon University is leading the way. Prior to the inception of the ADES program in 2001 it was rare to see position vacancy advertisements that included a university requirement. Now a university degree in disaster studies or emergency management is a common qualification sought by employers.

ADES graduates can work in many fields and the graduates so far have been hired into a wide variety of positions.

Local governments are obligated by legislation to have emergency management plans and also have responsibility for first response services such as police and fire services. ADES graduates are working for local governments in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba as well as in police and fire departments.

Provincial governments have focused Emergency Management departments and other departments, such as natural resources or health, which also hire emergency managers. Saskatchewan and Manitoba emergency management departments currently employ ADES graduates. Manitoba’s Office of the Fire Commissioner recently filled both provincial Deputy Fire Commissioner positions with ADES graduates. Manitoba Health’s Office of Disaster Management has three ADES students working for it.

At the national level the Federal government has hired ADES graduates to work in Public Safety Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Energy Board (which regulates the oil industry). There are also ADES graduates serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Volunteer agencies and non-government organizations that engage in disaster response are also potential employers. The Canadian Red Cross has hired ADES graduates in paid positions as well as several students who have contributed as volunteers. The industrial and private sector is also interested in emergency management and its connection to business continuity. ADES graduates have, for example, worked in the oil and telecommunication industries.

It is also possible for students to further their education. ADES students have gone on to related Masters programs in emergency management, humanitarian relief and international affairs. Others have used their undergraduate ADES degree as a step towards other degrees in education and the natural sciences.