As massive relief efforts continue in hurricane-stricken regions like Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico, the Federal Emergency Management Administration is hiring local employees to assist with recovery activities.
FEMA will be hiring temporary local employees and “Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees,” also known as CORE team members. Available jobs cover a spectrum of disciplines, including crisis counseling, civil engineering, digital communications and resource management. (Scroll to the bottom of this article to see the full list of jobs.)
The agency said they plan on hiring local residents – who are often disaster survivors themselves – to “help their fellow citizens in the recovery process.”
After hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria slammed U.S. states and territories, residents dealt with severe flooding, widespread power outages and significant damage to homes and businesses. Through local hiring, FEMA plans to help hurricane survivors on a deeper level.
“Local hiring allows disaster survivors to get back to work while adding to the long-term recovery of the local community and bringing a special understanding of the problems faced by fellow disaster survivors,” the agency said in a news release.
Temporary local hires will be able to work for 120 days, but may be extended in 120-day increments up to one year. FEMA added that temporary employees do not earn career tenure or competitive status.
The jobs are open to residents in Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas.
Local
How to apply:
Florida: Create an account on employflorida.com and use the keyword FEMA. You may enter your zip code and a search radius to narrow your search.
Puerto Rico: Interested applicants should e-mail their resume to fema-workforce-caribbean@fema.dhs.gov. Be sure to include “Puerto Rico” in the subject line. If no internet access is available, applicants can submit their resumes in a sealed envelope marked “FEMA Jobs.”
Texas: Go to WorkInTexas.com and follow the application instructions. WorkInTexas.com is the official Texas Workforce Commission’s website.
In addition to temporary employees, FEMA is also hiring CORE employees. These employees work for a limited period, between two to four years, according to a press release. CORE employees are eligible for the same benefits as full-time positions, but like temporary employees, don’t gain competitive status or career tenure.
If you are interested in a CORE position, you can apply through USAJobs.gov.
The following is a list of the types of jobs that are available through FEMA:
• Applicant Services Specialist
• Administrative Support Assistant
• Analysts
• Civil engineer
• Construction Cost Estimator
• Courier
• Crisis Counselor
• Customer Service Specialist
• Digital Communications Specialist
• Emergency Management Specialist
• Environmental Specialist
• Equal Rights Advisor
• Floodplain Management Specialist
• Graphics Specialist
• Geospatial Information
• Systems Specialist
• Hazard Mitigation
• Outreach Specialist
• Historic Preservation Specialist
