FEMA is Hiring in Southwest Virginia: Help Tropical Storm Helene Survivors

BRISTOL, Va.- FEMA is hiring local residents to support the recovery of Virginians affected by Tropical Storm Helene. Opportunities are available as part of FEMA's Local Hire and Reservists programs.

Local hire employees are local residents who aid in the recovery of their community throughout the recovery process. Local hire employees are hired into 120-day appointments and may be extended based on the needs of the disaster. FEMA local hire employees are eligible for the following benefits:

• Health insurance for individual or family coverage. Employer contribution is 75% of premium. Local Hire employees are eligible for enrollment in health insurance coverage as of the official hire date/employment date with FEMA.
• Flexible spending accounts
• Federal long-term care insurance
• Ability to earn 4 hours of paid sick leave per pay period.
• Holiday pay
• Worker's compensation

Current local hire employee opportunities include:

• Voluntary Agency Liaison (Bristol) - the deadline to apply is October 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET or when 200 applications are received, which may be sooner than the closing date.
• Visual Imaging Specialist (Bristol) - the deadline to apply is October 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET or when 100 applications are received, which may be sooner than the closing date.
• Program Liaison Specialist (Bristol) - the deadline to apply is October 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET or when 200 applications are received, which may be sooner than the closing date.
• Intergovernmental/Congressional Affairs and Private Sector Specialist (Bristol) - the deadline to apply is October 29 at 11:59 p.m. ET or when 100 applications are received, which may be sooner than the closing date.
• Emergency Management Specialist 2 (Richmond and Bristol) - the deadline to apply is October 29 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Due to the unpredictable nature of disasters, FEMA employs a temporary, on-call workforce, known as Reservists. Reservist work is available on an as-needed basis (it is not full-time or continuous). As a Reservist, you may be requested to deploy based upon the needs of a disaster and the need for your position. Deployment opportunities and length of deployments are not guaranteed and may be unpredictable. Reservists should be prepared to deploy at moment's notice. FEMA Reservists are eligible for the following benefits:

• Accrual of sick leave and overtime while deployed
• Reimbursement for travel
• Eligible for health benefits
• Lodging, meals, and per diem while deployed

Reservist opportunities are available on USAJobs.

As the disaster operational needs shift, new positions may be posted. To see all open roles, visit USAJobs.gov, type "Local Hire" or "Reservists" in the keywords section and "Bristol" or "Virginia" for location. Apply online for all roles.

For tips, including how to prepare your resume and navigate the website, visit USAJOBS Help Center - Application Process.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, 18 years of age or older, and must possess a high school diploma or GED. Individuals will be required to pass a background investigation that includes fingerprinting and credit check, be able to provide their own transportation to and from work and live within 50 miles of the employing office. Employees are also required to participate in mandatory direct deposit/electronic funds transfer for salary payment.

The federal government and commonwealth are here to support recovery for the whole community. For additional disaster recovery resources, visit vaemergency.gov, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page , fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.

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FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3's jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.

To apply for FEMA assistance, please call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362, visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, or download and apply on the FEMA App. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages). Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.