1. Chelsey Warning
Hello Iowa AmeriCorps members! My name is Chelsey Warning and I am going to talk about my experience with FEMA Corps.

2. A Little bit about Myself
Participated in Iowa Campus Compact Academic Year
Graduated 2014 with Bachelors of Science
Currently involved with Class 21A NCCC FEMA Corps
Looking to pursue a career in military medicine My
Just to give you all a little background on myself…
I previously participated as a part-time AmeriCorps member with Iowa Campus Compact during the academic year,
During this program I completed 300 hours of service with multiple organizations in the Dubuque Community during my Senior year at Loras College.
In May of 2014 I graduated Loras with my Bachelors of Biological Science degree in Biological Research.
I decided following graduation that I was not ready to go back to school and not quite ready to enter into a career field.
I applied to a wide scope of AmeriCorps programs, and was accepted to FEMA Corps beginning in July 2014.
I am currently a Corps member with Class 21A FEMA Corps and I serve on a team of 7 individuals.
I will go into greater detail about my teams experiences and what FEMA Corps is all about shortly.
In the future I hope to pursue a career in military medicine.
One great aspect of this program is the ability to take time and plan for your future.
I have been able to take time off from the program to attend interviews and fill out applications.

3. AMERICORPS NATIONAL CIVILIAN COMMUNITY CORPS (NCCC)
NCCC FEMA Corps Team
There are two programs that fall under NCCC (N-triple-C) or National Civilian Community Corps
Traditional and FEMA Corps. They vary greatly in the types of projects and the kinds of experience you can receive.
NCCC Traditional Corps Team

4. AMERICORPS NCCC Traditional & FEMA Corps
Program Overview:
10-month national service and leadership program.
Full-time, team-based, residential.
For men and women ages
Teams of 8-12 members meet critical needs in communities through short-term, 6-8 week intensive service projects.
Must successfully complete 1,700 hours of service.
Emphasizes discipline, physical conditioning, responsibility, and accountability.
Campuses are located in Denver, CO; Vicksburg, MS; Sacramento, CA; Baltimore, MD; and Vinton, IA.
Day to day supervision of the team is provided by a Team Leader.
1200 NCCC, 1600 FEMA Corps each year*
Both programs have a great deal of similarities in structure.
For men and women ages Unless you are a team leader, there is no age maximum.
Must successfully complete 1,700 hours of service. Which is relatively easy to do in the program. Typically your direct service hours “job” is about 40 hours a week plus any training meetings and other service projects you complete easily total the amount required for graduation.
Campuses are currently located in Denver, CO; Vicksburg, MS; Sacramento, CA; Baltimore, MD; and Vinton, IA. In NCCC you will stay within the region you are accepted to. Each region is highlighted in a different color. In FEMA Corps you can be deployed throughout the entire country depending on the needs within FEMA
There are about 1200 NCCC Corps members, 1600 FEMA Corps needed each year* Typically the need is not always met for FEMA Corps as it is a new program and is actually looking to expand the amount of Corps members.

5. NCCC FEMA CORPS How it all started... Work to fulfill FEMA’s Mission
CNCS and FEMA
Work to fulfill FEMA’s Mission
What really is FEMA Corps?
This program began 3 years ago.
It started as a partnership between to very important agencies.
CNCS-Corporation for National and Community Service based out of DC
Typically referred to as the Corporation, this is the headquarters for many National and Community service organizations
The picture in the upper right hand corner is a picture following a tour at the Corporation
FEMA-Federal Emergency Management Agency
This agency works to prepare, protect from, mitigate, respond, and recover from all hazards including natural and man-made disasters.
As part of a FEMA Corps team, all projects are derived out of a FEMA related need.
We work to help fulfill FEMA’s mission alongside FEMA employees.

6. FEMA CORPS PROJECTS
Order materials, track inventory and supplies, and manage IT equipment
Update electronic files and compile reports
Work with nonprofits and government agencies to coordinate services for survivors
Assess and report damage to public facilities
Educate communities, assess needs, and collect information
Help survivors complete applications for disaster assistance
Help set-up JFO’s and DRC’s
There are many types of projects in which FEMA Corps can be involved…
Most projects that FEMA Corps teams are assigned to involve some sort of office work. However, members gain significant experience in professional and office skills
Some teams, like mine are trained to interact with disaster survivors. So in the event of a major disaster we could be deployed to work with FEMA employees and go door-to-door and register survivors and provide critical information to assist in their recovery.
Some projects my class has been involved with include working with schools to provide preparedness talks, helping launch and prepare a new deployment tracking system within FEMA, and assisting with updating forms and documents to a more usable format.

7. ELIGIBILITY-NCCC/FEMA COrps
U.S. Citizen or lawful permanent resident
FEMA Corps: U.S. Citizenship
18-24 years old Corps Member
TEAM LEADERS 18 years and up – no age maximum
leadership, communication, responsibility
Medical and Legal Clearance
Drug and alcohol free environment
FEMA CORPS: Federal Background Investigation
No Education Requirement
High School Diploma or GED is NOT required, but preferred
Corps education levels diverse
Desired Traits:
Flexibility
Motivation and Commitment
Work Ethic and Responsibility
Respect for Diversity
Team Player
Willingness and ability to serve long hours and perform physical labor
Here is a list of the major requirements in order to be eligible for FEMA Corps.
A couple major ones to point out is the US Citizenship for FEMA Corps as well as each member must complete and pass a federal background check
Another thing to keep in mind is this program can be stressful at times. You eat, sleep, travel, work and basically breathe with your team 24/7. If you keep yourself healthy and make sure to keep everything in perspective it all ends up okay in the end.

8. MEMBER BENEFITS Traditional & FEMA Corps
Congressional and Presidential Awards for Service
CPR/First Aid/AED certified
Specialized Team Training: Red Card Certified wildland fire fighters AND Construction Team at Southern Region (traditional only).
GED resources can be provided
Individual Service Projects
Room and board
Modest living allowance ($4,000)
Uniforms and safety gear
Limited health benefits program
Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ($5,730)
Deferment for qualified student loans
Extensive training
Physical training
There are a great deal of benefits that go hand-in-hand with this program. Some of the major ones include…
There are many certifications and skills gained from the program some can include CPR, First Aid, Wildland Fire Fighting and Construction.
You are provided with $5,730 Segal award after successful completion of the program to be used towards accredited institutions and federal loans.
Food, Room, Board, and Travel are all included in the program. The modest living allowance helps cover personal expenses.

9. Application timeline Fill out the app online Complete paperwork
Choose your campus (NEW!!)
Complete paperwork
Service Recommendation
Acceptance/Waitlist Process
There is a bit of a process from application to acceptance..,
First you have to go the website online, I have the website on the next slide
Something new they have started is the ability to rank/choose which campus you would like to serve with.
If you are interested in seeing a certain part of the country you can request that campus. However with FEMA Corps remember you will possibly be traveling the entire country.
Then the program will send you additional forms to fill out including a fingerprint card and health questionnaire
After you submit the necessary paperwork the program will decide whether to recommend you for service
Usually as long as you pass a basic background check and your paperwork comes back okay you will be recommended
Then you will wait to either be accepted to a campus or waitlisted. Many people are accepted off of the waitlist so if you are waitlisted do not be discouraged

10. START your JOURNEY! APPLY NOW
Program
Dates
Team Leader Application Deadline
Corps Member Application Deadline
Summer 2015
*July May 2016
Already Passed
April 1, 2015
Fall 2015 (Traditional)
*Oct 2015 – July 2016
Winter (Traditional and FEMA Corps)
*February 2016-November 2016
September 1, 2015
October 1, 2015
* Team Leaders begin a month early.
Request and provide information as needed. Order free recruitment fliers (CCC1005)and posters at
Apply my.americorps.gov/nccc
questions to
Call (TTY )
Here are the upcoming application deadlines. Do not be afraid to apply later in the process. I did not apply with this program until mid March and was accepted for the Summer Class in July. I will have this slide up again at the end of presentation if you do have any questions or want to write the information down. **I am still waiting for the information pertaining to the Winter Class. If I do not receive information by Thursday morning I will take that section out**

11. In the beginning Corps Training Institute (5 weeks) Arrive
Classroom Training
Team Assignment
Induction
FEMA Academy
So just to give you an overview of my time in FEMA Corps thus far this is how it all began…
So the Corps Training Institute or CTI consists of the first month or so when you arrive at the campus you are selected for.
NCCC will pay for your flight to your campus and you are picked up in shuttles to go to campus. When you first get to campus everything is a little hectic. But you are assigned gear, you sign paperwork, and are randomly assigned roommates and temporary teams.
Then you take some class training on teamwork and other fundamental program classes.
Then you have the ability to pick what kind of team you want to be a part of…basically what kind of specialty to team you will be with for the remainder of your time. I was assigned to a Disaster Survivor Assistance Team. The lower picture is of the entire class immediately after being assigned our teams.
Then once we have completed some additional training we are inducted into FEMA Corps.
Lastly, we finish training in our specific roles and ship out to our first deployment!

12. EAST Coast Round 1 (16 Weeks)
My team’s first deployment was to the East Coast. These are just a few examples of the activities we do on our free time including tours, recruitment events, shake breaks, and working on Independent Service Projects.

13. Work HARD… Travel Lived in Columbia, Maryland Hyattsville, Maryland
NPSC Call Center
Washington, D.C.
FEMA HQ
The work side of things…
We traveled to Maryland from Mississippi in a 15 passenger van for 2 days
We lived in Columbia, Maryland which is about 15 minutes from Baltimore
We worked in a National Processing and Service Center or NPSC, for a majority of our time. At the NPSC we answered calls from disaster survivors mainly from flooding in Michigan. We helped them register for Federal Aid and assisted with questions to make the process as easy as possible for them.
For our last week we worked at FEMA Headquarters in Washington, DC and assisted the training department in creating new videos for incoming Disaster Survivor Assistance teams

14. Play Hard…
Like I said earlier we had the opportunity to explore the area around us in our free time.
We volunteered on evenings and weekends with organizations like Last Chance Animal Rescue and Habitat for Humanity
We were able to see the monuments and museums within DC
And toured places like National Public Radio Headquarters

15. Transition Round 1 wrap-up Classroom Training Prep for next round
In between rounds we travel back to Mississippi and wrap-up the previous round. In addition, we take some refresher courses and prepare for the upcoming round.
During the transition in January we were fortunate enough to help with the aftermath of the December 23rd tornadoes that ripped through parts of Mississippi. This picture is of some damage that occurred in Columbia, Mississippi. We helped with Debris removal in a former plot of land where horses were held. It really put into perspective what we do in FEMA Corps and the people we are able to help on a daily basis. Although emotionally and physically draining, this is one of the most inspirational events I have had the opportunity to help with.

16. West Coast
Round 2
For our second round we are deployed to the Seattle, WA area. These are some pictures from our travel from Mississippi to Washington with stops at the grand canyon, Las Vegas, and outside of the stadium where the first NCAA football championships were held. *My team leader is an OSU fan so we repped Ohio for her

17. Currently Working with Region 10 in Lynnwood, WA
Helping with various preparedness and mitigation efforts
Volunteering with Washington Trails Association and Seattle Union Gospel Mission
At this time we are working with the Region 10 FEMA Office to help further their goals in regards to preparedness and mitigation. Team members are working on a variety of projects involving regional trainings and exercises, working with tribal leaders and youth, and helping to map communities in regards to available resources in the event of a disaster.
Two organizations we have volunteered with in the area include the Washington Trails Association where we help work and maintain the many hiking trails in the nearby area and Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. This organization is one of the most unbelievable and awesome organizations our team has worked with. They help the homeless population in variety of ways in the Seattle Area. One program we have helped out with numerous times is Search and Rescue. This program loads up vans of volunteers and we go to places where the homeless congregate and provide life sustaining materials like food, water, blankets, and emotional and spiritual support.

18. START your JOURNEY! APPLY NOW
Program
Dates
Team Leader Application Deadline
Corps Member Application Deadline
Summer 2015
*July May 2016
Already Passed
April 1, 2015
Fall 2015 (Traditional)
*Oct 2015 – July 2016
Winter (Traditional and FEMA Corps)
*February 2016-November 2016
September 1, 2015
October 1, 2015
* Team Leaders begin a month early.
Request and provide information as needed. Order free recruitment fliers (CCC1005)and posters at
Apply my.americorps.gov/nccc
questions to
Call (TTY )
Does anyone have any questions for me?
Well I thank you all for tuning in and I hope this has been helpful. I am willing to answer any questions that may arise. My is