Emily Kaster
Emergency manager with expertise in community preparedness, programmatic assessments and professionalization
Specialties & Interests
Emergency Management
As a consultant, I assist organizations and emergency managers with assessments, planning, training and exercise, and community engagement to build resilience.
PROFESSIONALIZATION
Committed to advancing emergency management as a recognized profession by leading local initiatives, supporting collective efforts through professional associations, and fostering collaboration, education, and shared standards for the field.
ABOUT
I am an emergency manager passionate about strengthening community preparedness, challenging the status quo, and pursuing lifelong learning to drive innovative solutions.
My background includes consulting at a large emergency management firm, where I supported organizations coast-to-coast with strategic and operational planning, training and exercises, development of After-Action Reports and Improvement Plans (AAR/IPs), program assessments, and advisory services. Previously, I also worked at the Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency (Maine). I developed the emergency management program’s strategic and annual plans and implemented workflows to monitor programmatic growth. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I oversaw countywide coordination of pandemic response efforts, maintained continuity of operations, and led planning and recovery initiatives. Some of the projects I am most proud of include the creation of an internship program, modernization of day-to-day operations, and securing grants for regional exercises and mass care supplies.
Beyond the master’s degree earned at CHDS, I hold a bachelor’s degree in emergency management from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and the Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) and Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) credentials. I previously served as the Maine State Representative for IAEM Region 1 and as the President of the Maine Association of Local Emergency Managers (MALEM).
CHDS AFFILIATION
- CHDS Master’s Program, Cohort 2001/2002
HIGHLIGHTS
Emergency Preparedness Videos
While working at a county office of emergency management, we created a series of videos to deliver emergency preparedness messages in a fun, accessible way. Working with a team of volunteers and a video production intern, we featured local faces to make the preparedness content relatable and community driven.
