A comprehensive new report by the Argonne National Laboratory reveals the results of the Emergency Management Organizational Structures, Staffing, and Capacity Study — the most wide-ranging effort to date examining how public sector emergency management (EM) agencies are structured, staffed, and operate across the United States.
Focusing on local, state, and territorial emergency management offices, the study captures both quantitative and qualitative data to better understand agency characteristics, persistent challenges, and factors that contribute to effective service delivery. Among its key findings:
- Staffing Shortfalls at the Local Level: Over half of local EM agencies have one or fewer full-time permanent staff. Many of these agencies operate in rural or low-hazard areas and often rely on part-time or volunteer directors who juggle multiple professional roles, limiting dedicated emergency preparedness time.
- Organizational Structure Impacts Outcomes: While many agencies at all levels are independent, others are embedded within broader public safety or first responder departments. Local agencies that operate as standalone entities reported a higher likelihood of successfully meeting community needs compared to those under other departments.
- Resource and Role Clarity Gaps: Funding and staffing remain top concerns, but the study also flags issues like limited jurisdictional resources, ambiguity around EM roles and responsibilities, and challenges establishing agency priorities when directors lack the authority to do so.
- Preparedness Imbalance: Agencies overwhelmingly focus on preparing for response operations, with relatively little emphasis placed on recovery preparedness. Notably, the report found that local agencies that invest more in recovery planning are better positioned to meet both community needs and compliance requirements.
- Workforce Strain and Burnout: Human resources challenges differ by jurisdiction — from low pay at the local level to recruitment and retention struggles in territorial offices and high turnover in state agencies. Across the board, small staff sizes were closely linked to burnout.
The findings highlight the vast diversity of emergency management models in use and the persistent confusion about the role of emergency management in the broader public safety landscape. The report calls for greater standardization and professionalization of the emergency management workforce to strengthen resilience nationwide.
To read the full report and explore its findings, click here.
(AI was used in part to facilitate this article.)