Alumna prepares Miami-Dade communities for disasters

Claire Saint-Fart ’24 feels right at home in her new role as a specialist for the Miami-Dade Department of Emergency Management.

“I’ve always been a give-back girl,” she says. “And that’s what emergency management is about. It’s about giving back and serving your community.”

Saint-Fart helps communities prepare for disasters through programs that train the public. She also engages with faith-based and community organizations to encourage their participation in disaster planning, response and recovery.

A new beginning

Born and raised in Miami, Saint-Fart comes from a family dedicated to serving others -  police officers, educators and medical professionals - so pursuing such a career was natural for her.

After high school, Saint-Fart hit pause on her undergraduate studies to work to provide for her baby son. That experience led her to eventually launch a nonprofit dedicated to providing single moms with the tools and resources needed to succeed in the workplace, just as she herself had.

Preparing for her future career, she  earned an associate degree in criminal justice with the goal of becoming a police officer. A trusted mentor would eventually set her down a different path.

“My professor told me about the partnership between MDC and FIU where I would thrive in disaster management,” Saint-Fart says. He urged her to explore the undergraduate program at FIU’s Academy for International Disaster Preparedness, which could help pave the way for a successful career in the field.

“I did some research and saw the different opportunities that FIU had to offer as part of this program, and it intrigued me” she says.

Getting the job

In fall 2022, Saint-Fart began her FIU journey with classes that hit on topics spanning from public policy to crisis leadership.

“The material in my classes was super engaging,” she says. “It challenged me to think more critically.”

Saint-Fart was eager to put what she learned in her classes into practice and met with an advisor to discuss internship opportunities. Joann Brown, the assistant director of the undergraduate program at AIDP, located an internship for her with the City of Coral Gables Department of Emergency Management.

For five months, Saint-Fart worked as an intern, helping to formulate emergency plans for the city.

“It taught me that that's where the real groundwork of emergency management is,” she says. “You're in a setting where it's two or three people and their hands are in every part of emergency management from mitigation to preparedness, to response to recovery.”

While interning, Saint-Fart excelled in her studies at AIDP, deepening her understanding of the phases of emergency management through peer discussions, research and a capstones paper. And then it was time to look for a full-time position.

“Through my coursework, I earned over 30 FEMA certifications, giving me a significant competitive edge in the job market,” she says. “The courses were crucial in helping me meet the prerequisites for employment in emergency management.”

Her first day on the job with Miami-Dade’s Department of Emergency Management was two days before her commencement ceremony. 

She gives credits for her success to her professors - many of whom have national and international deployments behind them - who taught her what she needed to know to be successful in the field of emergency management, and the department for helping her get to where she is today. “Thanks to AIDP at FIU, I got the job of my dreams and was able to start my career as a disaster management specialist upon graduating," she said. "I have no idea how many people applied for this position, but it was FIU and AIDP that prepared me to be where I am today. Their dedication to student advancement is truly inspiring, and I am proud to now call many of former professors my colleagues.”

Saint-Fart sees a long future for herself in emergency management, and points to Deanne Criswell as one of her role models— Criswell is the 12^th administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the first woman to lead the agency. 

“I definitely want to leave a lasting imprint,” she says.