Mission & Purpose
The Air Force Emergency Management Association (AFEMA) helps preserve the heritage, professionalism, and esprit de corps of USAF Emergency Managers—past and present.
AFEMA serves as the central hub for the 3E9X1 AFS and legacy 242X0 community, safeguarding the legacy of our career field while strengthening the bonds that connect generations of Emergency Managers.
AFEMA fulfills this mission through four key pillars
Preserve — Our Heritage
Honoring and preserving the history, traditions, accomplishments, and enduring legacy of the Air Force Emergency Management program.
Connect — Our Community
Building and strengthening relationships among current, retired, and former Emergency Managers through communication, collaboration, fellowship, and shared experiences.
Develop — Our Professionals
Supporting the growth of current and future Emergency Managers through education, mentorship, professional development, recognition, and opportunities to strengthen the profession
Advocate — Our Profession & Our People
Promoting the value and importance of Air Force Emergency Management, recognizing those who exemplify the highest standards of the profession, and providing meaningful resources and programs that give back to our EM community.
AFEMA preserves our heritage, develops our professionals, connects our community, and advocates for our profession and its people
AFEMA’s commitment goes beyond preserving our past and supporting our present—it helps shape the future of Air Force Emergency Management.
Through programs that recognize excellence, honor service, and carry our traditions forward, AFEMA provides a lasting connection to the profession.
From presenting a AFEM Heritage coin to every new 3E9X1 graduate of the Emergency Management School to recognizing exceptional service through prestigious awards such as the Spiritus Draconis and Cardia Draconis, AFEMA celebrates the people and traditions that define our career field while encouraging recognition for those who made an enduring impact.
These efforts ensure that the accomplishments of those who came before us are remembered, the contributions of today’s Emergency Managers are recognized, and the next generation understands that they are part of something larger than themselves—a proud and enduring profession.
What does an Air Force Emergency Manager Do?
When the unexpected happens, Air Force Emergency Managers help ensure the installation is ready, the force is protected, and the mission continues.
Air Force Emergency Managers serve a vital role in protecting Airmen, installations, resources, and mission capabilities from the full spectrum of hazards and threats. Their mission extends far beyond responding when disaster strikes. They work every day to ensure Air Force installations are prepared to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies while maintaining the ability to accomplish the mission.
At the heart of the career field is planning and preparedness. Emergency Managers develop and maintain comprehensive wartime, contingency, and disaster response plans designed to protect personnel and critical resources, minimize casualties and damage, and sustain essential operations. These plans address everything from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and industrial accidents to major military contingencies and complex Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) environments.
When an emergency occurs, Emergency Managers help transform those plans into action. They coordinate response and recovery activities, help mobilize personnel and resources, provide critical information to installation leadership, and work alongside military units, civilian emergency services, and local, state, federal, joint, and allied partners. Their objective is not simply to manage the immediate crisis, but to preserve mission capability and help restore normal operations as quickly and safely as possible.
A specialized part of the profession is CBRN defense and consequence management. Emergency Managers maintain and operate specialized detection, identification, warning, and protective equipment; assess hazards and contamination; provide protective-action recommendations; and help commanders understand how hazardous conditions may affect personnel and mission operations. They also maintain specialized equipment, supplies, and readiness inventories necessary to support operations in demanding environments.
Training and education are equally important.
Emergency Managers prepare Airmen and installation personnel to understand the hazards they may face and know what actions to take when an emergency occurs. They conduct preparedness education, CBRN defense training, exercises, and specialized instruction for emergency response organizations. From individual Airmen learning protective actions to installation teams participating in large-scale exercises, that training helps turn written plans into real-world capability.
Ultimately, Air Force Emergency Management is about readiness, resilience, and mission assurance. Emergency Managers operate before, during, and after a crisis—anticipating hazards, preparing the force, supporting commanders, coordinating response operations, and helping installations recover.
Become an AFEMA Member
Request copies of your membership certificates
Order an EM Coin Replacement
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