day one on the job

today was our first day working in the joint field office. it consisted of hazard mitigation training and a sneak peek at what we have to look forward to for the next one to two months (ie. working in disaster recovery centers, working in the field, etc.)

terms to define:
joint field office: once a disaster is declared, this office gets set up asap by the logistics team and becomes fully equipped with computers, phones, etc. to serve as a central office for FEMA to work out of. this office can be set up in any space that is for rent or lease and located not too near the disaster site but just close enough (for example, a space for lease in a nearby mall can be taken and turned into a joint field office within 72 hours if need be).

mitigation: measures taken to best prepare an area should another disaster occur in order to prevent/decrease loss of property and/or life

disaster recovery center: a center set up that is near the disaster site and serves as a place where disaster survivors can come and register for FEMA to see what assistance they may or may not be eligible for, as well as talk with other voluntary agencies, such as the red cross, etc.


on thursday, I will be working alongside a FEMA mitigation employee at a disaster recovery center along the coast of new york (there are several locations, including brooklyn, queens, and long island). I'm looking forward to shadowing him or her and seeing all of the elements that make up a disaster recovery center in person.

starting next week, I will be working under a team lead (FEMA employee) with two other girls on my team to go out into the field to breezy point, ny to look at the properties that have been damaged. we will be collecting data via digital photos and copious amounts of notes in order to create a database of information that will be used in the area of mitigation to figure out how best to prepare the community for another storm.


in the meantime, we will be packing up our van yet again to travel to long island, where we will be residing for the duration of our time in new york. time to get that red duffel filled!