Emergency Management Specialist (CEMA) - Planning

Salary: $52,286 - $78,416
Position Grade: 210G
Department: City Emergency Management Agency
Job Type: Full-Time (Permanent)
Location: Downtown - St. Louis, MO

About the Role

This position is responsible for coordinating extensively with City departments, regional partners, Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and FEMA Region VII on emergency planning matters. The EM Specialist – Planning Coordinator serves as the primary point of contact for all Emergency Operations Plan development, hazard annexes, and planning compliance during steady-state operations, and functions as Planning Section Chief during EOC activations, coordinating situation reporting, documentation, and Incident Action Plan development.

Emergency Availability: 24/7/365 - Must respond within 60 minutes of notification during emergencies.

Responsibilities

• Emergency Operations Plan Development and Maintenance
  • Serves as CEMA's lead planning specialist with primary responsibility for developing, maintaining, and coordinating the City of St. Louis Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) in accordance with FEMA Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 and EMAP Standards 4.3-4.4.
  • Leads a comprehensive review and update of the Basic Plan, ensuring alignment with current federal doctrine, state requirements, and local operational realities.
  • Establishes and maintains a systematic plan review cycle that ensures all EOP components remain current, relevant, and actionable.
  • Develops and maintains hazard-specific annexes addressing the full range of threats and hazards facing the City of St. Louis, including severe weather (tornado, flooding, winter storms), earthquake, hazardous materials incidents, terrorism, public health emergencies, and other identified risks. Ensures each annex includes concept of operations, organizational roles and responsibilities, direction and control protocols, and references to supporting plans and procedures.
  • Coordinates with subject matter experts from City departments and partner agencies to ensure technical accuracy and operational validity of annex content.
  • Creates and maintains functional annexes and Emergency Support Function (ESF) appendices that define roles and responsibilities for City departments during emergency operations.
  • Coordinates with department emergency coordinators to develop department-specific standard operating procedures (SOPs) that align with the citywide EOP.
  • Ensures planning documents incorporate Whole Community principles, address access and functional needs populations, and comply with civil rights requirements.
  • Maintains version control and document management systems that ensure responders access current plan versions during emergencies.
• Risk Assessment and Hazard Analysis
  • Leads the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) process required for federal compliance and grant eligibility, coordinating input from City departments, regional partners, and subject matter experts to identify capability targets and resource requirements.
  • Conducts comprehensive hazard analysis using established methodologies to evaluate probability, magnitude, and potential consequences of identified threats.
  • Produces risk assessment products that inform planning priorities, resource allocation, and capability development strategies.
  • Maintains current knowledge of the City's risk profile through ongoing environmental scanning, intelligence coordination, and analysis of emerging threats.
  • Coordinates with Missouri SEMA, FEMA Region VII, and regional partners on multi-jurisdictional risk assessments and planning initiatives.
  • Develops and maintains hazard profiles, vulnerability assessments, and consequence analyses that support planning decisions and public communication.
  • Ensures THIRA products align with Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR) requirements and grant performance reporting.
  • Conducts research on hazard characteristics, historical incidents, and lessons learned from disasters affecting peer jurisdictions to enhance planning products.
  • Analyzes demographic data, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and community characteristics to identify populations and assets requiring special planning consideration.
  • Produces planning guidance documents, fact sheets, and briefing materials that translate risk assessment findings into actionable information for emergency managers, elected officials, and the public.
• Departmental Planning Coordination
  • Coordinates emergency planning activities across City departments, serving as the primary liaison between CEMA and departmental emergency coordinators on planning matters.
  • Facilitates planning working groups and committees that bring together stakeholders to address cross-cutting planning issues and ensure consistency across departmental plans.
  • Provides technical assistance and planning support to departments developing or updating their emergency procedures, continuity plans, and standard operating guidelines.
  • Reviews departmental emergency plans and procedures for alignment with the citywide EOP, NIMS compliance, and operational compatibility.
  • Identifies gaps, conflicts, and opportunities for improvement in departmental planning products.
  • Develops planning templates, checklists, and guidance documents that enable departments to produce consistent, high-quality emergency plans.
  • Coordinates annual reviews of departmental plans to ensure currency and relevance.
  • Supports development of Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG) plans for City departments and elected offices.
  • Provides planning expertise for special events, planned incidents, and other situations requiring pre-incident coordination.
  • Coordinates with regional partners on multi-jurisdictional planning initiatives and ensures City plans integrate with county, state, and federal planning frameworks.
• Planning Section Chief
  • Serves as Planning Section Chief during Emergency Operations Center activations, responsible for collecting, evaluating, and disseminating incident information and maintaining situational awareness for the EOC.
  • Establishes and manages Planning Section organization appropriate to incident complexity, activating unit leaders for Situation, Resources, Documentation, and Demobilization as needed.
  • Ensures development of Incident Action Plans (IAPs) for each operational period in accordance with NIMS doctrine.
  • Directs situation assessment activities including collection and analysis of field reports, damage assessments, weather briefings, and intelligence updates.
  • Produces situation reports, briefing materials, and common operating picture products that inform decision-making by the EOC Director and Command Staff.
  • Facilitates planning meetings that bring together section chiefs to develop operational period objectives, resource requirements, and tactical assignments.
  • Ensures IAP components including ICS-202 (Incident Objectives), ICS-203 (Organization Assignment List), ICS-204 (Assignment Lists), and supporting documents are completed accurately and distributed timely.
  • Manages the Documentation Unit function, ensuring all EOC activities, decisions, and resource commitments are properly recorded for operational continuity and potential federal reimbursement.
  • Coordinates technical specialists assigned to the Planning Section including GIS analysts, subject matter experts, and agency representatives.
  • Leads demobilization planning as incidents transition toward recovery, ensuring orderly release of resources and transition to steady-state operations.
  • Produces incident-specific after-action contributions documenting planning function performance and improvement recommendations.
• Federal Compliance and Accreditation Support
  • Ensures CEMA planning activities comply with federal requirements including NIMS implementation, FEMA grant conditions, and preparedness standards.
  • Monitors evolving federal doctrine, guidance, and best practices affecting emergency planning, incorporating updates into agency planning products and procedures.
  • Tracks EMAP accreditation standards related to planning (Standards 4.3-4.4) and coordinates agency efforts to achieve and maintain compliance.
  • Supports grant applications by providing planning-related data, capability assessments, and project justifications.
  • Ensures planning deliverables required by grant agreements are completed on schedule and meet quality standards.
  • Coordinates with the Grants Manager to document planning accomplishments for performance reporting.
  • Maintains planning-related records and documentation required for federal audits and compliance reviews.
  • Participates in state and regional planning initiatives, representing CEMA on planning working groups and committees.
  • Coordinates with Missouri SEMA on state planning requirements, plan reviews, and technical assistance opportunities.
  • Engages with FEMA Region VII on planning doctrine, guidance interpretation, and emerging best practices.
  • Contributes to professional knowledge sharing through participation in IAEM, NEMA, and other professional association planning committees and workgroups.
• Exercise Support and Continuous Improvement
  • Provides planning expertise to support agency exercise program, contributing scenario development, planning assumptions, and technical content for exercises designed to test and validate emergency plans.
  • Reviews exercise objectives to ensure alignment with planning priorities and capability gaps identified through risk assessment.
  • Participates in exercises as a player, controller, or evaluator as assigned, with primary focus on validating planning products and procedures.
  • Incorporates lessons learned from exercises, real-world incidents, and after-action reviews into plan updates and procedure revisions.
  • Tracks planning-related corrective actions from improvement plans to completion, ensuring identified gaps are addressed through plan revisions, procedure updates, or training enhancements.
  • Coordinates with Training and Exercise Coordinator to ensure exercise program addresses planning capability validation needs.
  • Attends training, conferences, and professional development opportunities to maintain current knowledge of emergency planning best practices and professional standards.
  • Pursues professional certifications as directed by agency leadership.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Deputy Director or Commissioner to support agency mission accomplishment.

Requirements

• Equipment to be operated:
  • Computer workstation and standard office productivity software including Microsoft Office Suite
  • Emergency management information systems including WebEOC or similar incident management platforms
  • Geographic information systems (GIS) software for hazard mapping and risk visualization
  • Planning and collaboration software
  • Multi-line telephone systems and mobile communication devices
  • Radio communications equipment including VHF/UHF portable and mobile radios
  • Emergency operations center audio-visual systems including video conferencing platforms
  • Document management and version control systems
  • City vehicle for planning coordination meetings and field assessments
  • Specialized emergency management equipment as required for incident response and planning support
• Physical requirements:
  • Work is primarily sedentary, performed in office and EOC environments with occasional field visits for planning coordination and damage assessment support.
  • Must be able to lift and carry up to 25 pounds, including planning materials, reference documents, and equipment.
  • During EOC activations, extended periods at workstations and sustained mental concentration are required.
  • Must be able to operate standard office equipment, presentation technology, and emergency communications systems.