FEMA Reservist Opportunities

In 2013, AARP and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) signed a five-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the purpose of building a strong relationship around collaboration and communications in preparing older Americans for a natural disaster.  The agreement offers many opportunities for both organizations to expand services and reach out to new communities. FEMA and AARP are presently working together to raise awareness about the importance of being prepared for emergencies, help older Americans  receive assistance needed after a disaster, prevent fraud, and encourage resiliency for all families and communities. Additionally, FEMA and AARP are looking to harness the accumulated skills and experiences of Americans to help communities impacted by disasters.

One way we can harness those skills and experience is through FEMA’s Reservist program that utilizes temporary, intermittent personnel to support disaster field operations. Reservists play a vital role in assisting with the coordinated response and recovery efforts of impacted citizens, communities, and local, tribal and state governments. FEMA Reservists are federal employees that deploy, for weeks and sometimes months, to support field operations in response to disasters that occur within the U.S. and its territories.

As a Reservist, you would have the opportunity to expand your professional knowledge and skills, while becoming proficient in new abilities. This would include building extensive emergency management networks and discovering the roles and responsibilities of federal disaster response and recovery. Additionally, by joining the Reservist program you would receive firsthand knowledge of how your work directly supports disaster survivors.

There is a wide array of reservist opportunities and mission areas where your skills can support a disaster operation. Examples of service opportunities include, but are not limited to:

• Information Technology
• Logistics
• Direct Survivor Assistance and Case Work
• Community Planning
• Human Resources
• Financial Management
• Hazard Mitigation
• Training
• Environmental/Historic Preservation
• Legal Counsel
• Site Security

A broader list of applicable cadres, Frequently Asked Questions, and contact information can be found on the FEMA Reservist website at https://www.fema.gov/reservist-program.