FEMA Region 5

In FEMA Region 5, we're focused on serving survivors and helping them in their most challenging days. We offer resources to help them rebuild and insight on how they can prepare in multiple areas - before, during, and after disaster. We're looking for a few great people to join our mission. Our Mitigation Division is looking to hire someone in a supervisory role to serve as a Branch Chief. This person will manage staff, support disaster operations, oversee mitigation programs in the field, ensure that our program delivery is equitable, and more. If this sounds like an opportunity for you or someone you know, be sure to apply by November 4: https://lnkd.in/eV5E94wJ The Mitigation Division is also looking to hire an Environmental Protection Specialist who will assist in making program and operational decisions, assist with environmental planning, ensure mitigation projects are in compliance with applicable environmental laws, provide technical advice to leadership, and more. If interested, check out the full job description and submit your application by November 11: https://lnkd.in/ebyCtPWk. #Career #EmJobs #JoinOurTeam #FEMA

Today, more than half of the FEMA Region 5 team is on the frontlines - in the field, working to bring a bit of hope to storm survivors across the nation who are facing some of their most challenging days. We're serving in essential roles across nearly every aspect of disaster response and recovery - from External Affairs and Logistics to Operations, Information Technology, Hazard Mitigation, Field Leadership, and Long-Term Recovery. We're even going door-to-door with Disaster Survivor Assistance crews to help survivors apply for assistance. We're working tirelessly to support our fellow regions and, most importantly, the survivors who are trying to find a way forward. More than 100 people from the R5 team are supporting disaster efforts in Illinois and Minnesota - alongside our incredible reserve staff, and nearly 50 staff members are providing critical support to Southern states that were impacted by Hurricane Helene. Our entire Incident Management Assistance Team is deployed and even those who serve in senior leadership roles are in the field working to ensure survivors have access to resources that will help ease concerns about where they will lay their heads, what they will eat, and how they can make it through the next few months. Our Regional Administrator, Thomas Sivak, supported these direct efforts, focused on innovative ways to help expand initial recovery conversations along with state and federal partners. Survivors have tapped into more than $800 million in areas where our teams are working. But for us, it's so much more than helping spur the process for financial relief. Our teams are driven by opportunities to offer a word of encouragement, an ear to listen, and some days even a hug to help survivors make it through the moment. We could not be prouder of our Region 5 team. Their dedication to FEMA’s mission is unwavering. FEMA’s core values are at the heart of the mission - Compassion, Fairness, Integrity, and Respect. It’s these values that continue to guide our commitment to service. THANK YOU, Region 5. #FEMA #Region5 #DisasterResponse #EmergencyManagement #FEMACoreValues #HurricaneHelene #DisasterRecovery #EmergencySupport #ProudToServe #MissionDriven

Rebuilding after disaster is often a long road. But our Hazard Mitigation teams are steadfast in making sure survivors have tips and tools that can help them build their homes and property stronger and more resilient than it was before disaster hit. Our teams are meeting survivors where they're at - they are in disaster recovery centers, at high school football games, community fairs, parades and other events, with a keen eye on helping those who need assistance. Thank you Celine Carus, Lauren E. Pruitt, Hjalmar Breit, Antowanna Carpenter, Yunsu Kim, Laurie Smith-Kuypers, Sam S., Josephine Helland, Tselane Hatter, Steve Cooper and all who are contributing to this mission. We value you and all you contribute to this team and to Illinois survivors. #WeServe #SupportingSurvivors #WhereIsFEMARegion5

Messaging is critical in the immediate aftermath of disaster and making sure survivors know how FEMA can assist on their road to recovery is an essential part of what we do. Thank you Dan, for working to put accurate and timely information in the hands of North Carolinians who are trying to navigate these very difficult days. Your efforts are certainly easing their burdens. To date, more than 77,000 survivors in North Carolina have received nearly $100 million to buy food, pay for a hotel, replace prescription medications that were lost in the storm, buy diapers for their babies, and so much more. Thank you for your commitment to this mission. We appreciate you and are thankful to have you on the FEMA Region 5 team. #WeServe #SupportingSurvivors #WhereIsFEMARegion5

THANK YOU to our Incident Management Assistance Team which hit the ground in South Carolina just days after Hurricane Helene hit with a force that left nearly 50 people dead across the state. The team had had just a few hours of sleep when they arrived in South Carolina but, they stepped off their planes with a mission to bring hope and resources to survivors who've lost so much. Our team worked closely with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to coordinate plans that ensured power was restored and that roads were reopened and safe to travel. They're also helping build out recovery centers where survivors can speak face-to-face with a FEMA rep to get the help they need. To date, more than $106 million is in the hands of South Carolinians who are trying to piece their lives back together. We are just one part of this effort. And we are thankful to have a hand in this rebuilding process. To our team - Darrin Ricketts, Natalie Dybsky, Craig Browning, Don Wenschhof III, Daniel F., Warren Daniels, Miguel Ramos, Henry James, Rick Saucedo, Alex Fonteyn, Jenn Brewer, and Rob Cassas - THANK YOU for your unwavering support to this mission and for keeping your eyes on serving with compassion, fairness, integrity, and respect. #WeAreFEMA #WeServe #SupportingSurvivors #WhereIsFEMARegion5

About half of the FEMA Region 5 team is out in the field supporting recovery efforts for disasters that have rocked communities across the nation. From Illinois to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, our teams are focused on making sure storm survivors have access to grant funds that will help them pay for hotels, temporary housing, food, diapers, medication and other necessities. Our Regional Administrator, Thomas Sivak, is leading the team by example. After Hurricane Helene left North Carolina towns and cities in shambles, Tom deployed to support the state and other partners on a mission to assess damage and identify long term needs. Working with Jim McPherson, the goal is to build out a plan that will help North Carolinians put their lives and communities back together over the long haul. FEMA will be with them as long as they need us. This is who we are. This is what we train for. This is the mission we proudly push forward. Thank you, Tom. And to every single person who leaves their own family to serve those who are experiencing their hardest days. THANK YOU. #WeServe #SupportingSurvivors #WhereIsFEMARegion5

Creating a ready nation means working with all communities - including our Tribal Nations, to build strategy and talk about the importance of having a plan. A plan to that will protect families. A plan that will protect sacred lands. A plan that will protect the histories of those who have laid strong foundations before us. We are grateful for the opportunities to invest, educate, and build solid partnerships. Thank you to all who joined us for our Tribal Summit in FEMA Region 5 recently. Collaboration makes us stronger. Special thanks to our National Tribal Affairs Advocate Kelbie Kennedy, our Regional Administrator Thomas Sivak, our Deputy Regional Administrator Mike Chesney, and our Regional Tribal Liaisons Troy Christensen and Cathy Bachhuber for hosting and facilitating the conversations. #TribalNations #BuildingAReadyNation #Prepare #BeforeDuringAndAfter

This year's National Preparedness Month campaign specifically focuses on helping Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities prepare for disasters before they occur. And our teams are meeting them where they’re at. We joined community members and leaders in Madison Heights, MI for a roundtable this week to have open conversations about the barriers that limit preparedness opportunities. From language barriers to cultural differences – our teams are actively working to identify solutions that will help close these gaps and build a ready nation. The conversation was extremely informative, and it underscored the importance of collaboration between community leaders and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial officials to create a more inclusive and effective preparedness framework. By working together, we can ensure that all communities have the tools and knowledge necessary to respond in the face of disaster. It all boils down to protecting the people we love and making our homes and communities stronger. Thank you to Dan Shulman and Amy Pifine for moderating the roundtable and to all who contributed to the discussion, including Tammy Blackburn with the Michigan State Police, Robert Seeley, from Oakland County Emergency Management, Mika McAskill and representatives from the Office of Global Michigan, Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commissioner Peggy Du, and FEMA Region 5's own Sumayya Menk for organizing the event. #NPM #BePrepared #ProtectYourLovedOnes

It's WELCOME WEDNESDAY and today, we're putting JUSTIN WOODS in the spotlight. Justin joined FEMA Region 5 in May as a Historic Preservation Specialist. He has an SOI Archaeologist specialty and, while he's on the clock, he reviews public assistance projects to make sure they are compliant with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and other environmental protection laws. He focuses primarily on archaeological resources that are below ground. As a Chicago native, Justin says he is looking forward to making a difference in his own back yard. He was born in Chicago and raised in the Mt. Greenwood neighborhood. Justin is extremely passionate about making music when he is not at work. He also enjoys hitting up local museums, exploring local hiking trails, and keeping up with the Chicago Blackhawks. We are proud to serve with Justin. If you see him around the office, be sure to stop, say hello, and welcome him to the team. #FEMARegion5 #EmergencyManagement #WelcomeWednesday #Careers

Make your emergency supply list and check it twice to make sure you have all you need to keep your family safe if a disaster hits near your home. This National Preparedness Month, we're encouraging families to take steps to increase awareness and plan ahead. Our very own Alexander Bui, has a few items on his list that can help you #StartAConversation as you build a plan with your family. For more preparedness tips, visit www.Ready.gov/Start. #NPM #BePrepared #ProtectYourLovedOnes