Dave Bujak is currently the Emergency Preparedness Manager for the University of Rochester (NY) and the UR Medicine system, serving in both the higher education and healthcare sectors. Prior joining UR, Dave served as a professional emergency manager for over 20 years in Florida: 10 years as the Director of Emergency Management for Florida State University; 7 years for the Florida Division of Emergency Management in both the Operations Section and Critical Infrastructure Unit.; 4 years with the American Red Cross. He also was a volunteer firefighter in Chaires-Capitola, Florida from 1999-2007.
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Public Administration from Florida State University. He holds a graduate certificate in Emergency Management from FSU and is a certified Florida Professional Emergency Manager (FPEM).
Dave has responded to dozens of presidentially-declared disasters in various capacities over his career, including the infamous Florida hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005. Dave coordinated FSU’s response to Hurricane Hermine in September 2016. Dave has also responded to numerous campus and local events and emergencies. Most notable is the November 2014 shooting at the FSU Strozier Library.
Dave is considered a leader in his field with respect to emergency notification and warning systems, use of technology and social media for public education and outreach, higher education emergency management and proactive use of weather systems. Dave is a leading contributor to the development of WeatherSTEM, a mesonet of 200+ weather systems throughout Florida and the United States. He has served as an advisor to the U.S. Department of Education – Office of Safe and Healthy Students. He is a regular contributor to Campus Safety magazine.