Et cetera : FEMA Headquarters Gets Boost From Vinton FEMA Corps Team

Aidan Ferris works with tribal affairs in the Strategic Command Division.

By: Dane Gellerup

AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps team Spruce 4 has been working in the External Affairs office at FEMA’s national headquarters in Washington since late March, assisting the personnel there in many different fields related to external affairs. Some team members act as support to permanent FEMA employees in departments such as Congressional Affairs and Private sector while others have been playing important roles in ongoing projects, such as the Ready campaign.

Team members provide an important source of flexible productivity in the office, performing tasks ranging from submitting official reports to Congress to simple chores that keep the office running smoothly, such as making packets for meetings. Team members are exposed to many different learning experiences every day and are enthusiastic at the prospect that they are helping FEMA in assisting communities with their preparation for future disasters.

“I really enjoy seeing how the government interacts with different Native American tribes,” said Aidan Ferris, who is currently assisting with tribal affairs in the Strategic Command Division. “It’s great to be able to help with something that I find so interesting.”

The team is scheduled to finish up their roles in Washington at the end of the month, at which point they will head back to Vinton to wrap up their service year with closure trainings, debriefing reports and graduation.