When disaster strikes, communities depend on skilled leaders who can coordinate complex responses and protect lives. Whether serving as a fire chief on the front lines or advancing into leadership as an emergency management director, professionals in this field carry immense responsibility. The Emergency Management job description often involves overseeing multi-agency operations, from fire and police departments to hospitals and private-sector crisis teams. Similarly, a fire chief must balance hands-on emergency response with long-term public safety strategy. To prepare for these demanding careers, many turn to an online Master of Public Administration, which equips graduates with the management, governance, and crisis leadership expertise necessary to step into high-level public safety and emergency services positions.
Crisis leadership: directors of emergency services and management
What is an emergency services director?
The emergency management director leads critical public safety operations. Depending whether the position is in the private or public sector, the Emergency Management job description may vary. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes the role is most commonly found in government agencies — overseeing police, fire departments, and regional emergency response systems — they also work in hospitals, universities, and private corporations managing crisis protocols. In local government, directors coordinate multi-agency disaster responses and manage emergency communications infrastructure, while hospital-based directors focus on patient evacuation plans and staff safety protocols1.
How are emergency services directors compensated?
In Los Angeles, Directors of Emergency Services can earn salaries ranging from about $42,023 to $187,487 per year according to Zip Recruiter in April 2025, depending on experience and the specific organization. Often department director roles lead to larger management positions as Assistant City Manager or City Administrator.
How does USC Price prepare you?
The MPA program at USC Price offers courses in management, public administration, governance, and organizational leadership. These courses, coupled with networking opportunities and real-world case studies, prepare graduates to take on high-level emergency management and emergency services roles.
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Find Out MoreDr. Christopher Foster, a 2014 USC Price alum and Director of Emergency Services, credits the MPA online program for broadening his perspectives and enhancing his career trajectory. When reflecting on his USC experience, Foster notes, “I was forced to be in the lead multiple times, and I think because of that, I have gone from a captain in a fire department to a director of emergency services. Simply because of that.”
Fire chief: leading public safety initiatives
What is a fire chief?
Fire chiefs serve as the operational and strategic leaders of fire departments, balancing emergency response with long-term community safety. Fire chief jobs require a combination of crisis leadership skills, technical knowledge, and public administration expertise. Beyond managing the station, successful chiefs must “ensure the safety and well-being of the community they serve through the development and implementation of fire safety policies and procedures,” according to the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
How are fire chiefs compensated?
In Los Angeles, the salary for fire chiefs can range from about $72,466 to $206,697 per year according to Indeed in April 2025, depending on the size of the department and years of experience.
How does USC Price prepare you?
The MPA program at USC Price provides a strong foundation in leadership and research, both essential skills for aspiring fire chiefs. Jonathan Westendorf is a testament of the MPA’s success. As chief of fire and EMS for the City of Franklin, Westendorf, credited USC with teaching him how to ask the right questions and conduct effective research, skills he has applied extensively in his work. Westendorf’s time at USC exposed him to diverse perspectives from mid-career professionals across various sectors, broadening his outlook and helping him think on a larger scale. Westendorf was promoted to City Manager and Safety Director for his city.
While the fire chief holds the top leadership position, there are several other crucial leadership roles within fire departments that MPA graduates hold. These include battalion chiefs, who oversee multiple fire stations and coordinate responses to major incidents, and fire captains, who lead individual fire crews and stations.
Adam Weiss, a USC Price MPA student, serves as a captain paramedic with the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Department. His role involves not only leading firefighting efforts but also managing emergency medical services. Weiss states, “The more highly educated people we have in the department that have had access to other ways of thinking, it makes us more diverse and makes us be able to do more for our current fire department and the county as well.” These leadership positions require a combination of hands-on experience, strategic thinking, and administrative skills – areas where a Master of Public Administration online education proves invaluable.
