Diploma of Public Safety (Emergency Management)
The current national emergency management qualification (PUA50120) for people coordinating preparedness, response and recovery in emergency services, local government and relief agencies.
Entry requirements
- Emergency-services workplace involvement
What you will learn
PUA50120 has five core units: Liaise with other organisations (PUACOM007); Design emergency management exercises (PUAEMR032); Work within an emergency management context (PUAEMR038); Manage projects (PUAMAN005); and Coordinate resources for a multi-agency incident (PUAOPE017). Five electives are chosen from a list that includes delivering recovery services, establishing and managing a recovery centre, facilitating community involvement in recovery, developing public safety awareness programs, managing human, financial and physical resources, controlling a Level 2 incident and managing planning or logistics for a complex incident.
Skills you build
- Working within an emergency management context
- Designing emergency management exercises
- Coordinating resources across agencies
- Liaising with other organisations
- Managing projects
- Recovery centre and recovery services work (electives)
How the course runs
Most learners study part-time. Some emergency service agencies train their own staff and volunteers in public safety qualifications through their registered training arrangements; others study with a TAFE or private provider. Check delivery and any prerequisites with the provider.
How you will be assessed
- Scenario-based incident command exercises
- Emergency plan writing assignments
- Written knowledge tests per unit of competency
- Multi-agency tabletop exercise participation
- Workplace third-party reports from senior officers
Workplace and placement
Several units are assessed against real or simulated emergency management work, so learners usually need access to an emergency management workplace or agency, as a paid officer or a volunteer. Pay in paid roles is set by each agency's award or agreement.
Typical employers
- State Emergency Services (NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, NT, TAS, ACT)
- State and metropolitan fire services
- Rural fire services and brigade groups
- Local government emergency management units
- State and federal agencies (e.g. EMA, AFAC)
- Disaster relief and recovery NGOs (Red Cross, Salvation Army)
Is this the right course for you?
You probably thrive here if
- You can stay calm during high-stakes incidents
- You can give and receive direct command
- You can work through long deployments away from home
- You can balance volunteer work with paid employment
- You can document incidents accurately for review
It is probably not for you if
- You panic when plans change rapidly
- You struggle with shift work and overnight call-outs
- You react badly to traumatic incident exposure
- You cannot accept hierarchical command structures
After you finish
The next national qualification is the Advanced Diploma of Public Safety (Emergency Management) (PUA60120). Several universities offer emergency and disaster management degrees; ask them about credit for this diploma.
Careers this leads to
Median full-time weekly earnings are for the whole occupation (all experience levels) from Your Career, not starting pay for new graduates of this course.