Tag Archives: Hurricane recovery jobs

4 Tips for Mobilized Hurricane Sandy Disaster Recovery Volunteers

Volunteering for Hurricane Sandy Disaster Recovery?

Read This First

There are an enormous number of people who want to volunteer for the Hurricane Sandy Recovery efforts.  We want to make sure that your Hurricane Sandy Recovery effort goes smoothly and safely.  Here are some practical tips to follow before volunteering:

  1. Know the volunteer organization: Volunteer organizations want to be known for their good work. If you have never heard of the organization and the government agencies in charge of recovery have never heard of them, it may not be a good use of your time. To get started correctly, use the Citizens Corps.gov or the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD)  websites to find volunteer organizations authorized to respond to federal disaster areas.
  2. Verify your transportation and sleeping arrangements: Transportation and shelter are valued commodities in a disaster area. Make sure that you can travel safely and have a warm, safe place to sleep. Some volunteers make the mistake of just showing up and end up in less than ideal conditions. Not a good experience.
  3. Bring weather appropriate clothes that you can get dirty: I can guarantee some of your work clothes will be ruined after a few days from dirt and sweat. Make sure you have clothes and shoes which enable you able to work outside for long periods of time in relative comfort. Hats, socks and gloves are especially important.
  4. Have the right communication gear: Has your cell phone battery died and you left your charger at home? That is why having the right gear is important. Disaster areas may not have electrical power and a universal car charger maybe a good way to keep you in touch with local authorities. A walkie talkie with rechargeable batteries is also a good idea if cell phone service is out.

Important Hurricane Sandy Disaster Recovery Website

hurricane sandyvolunteer.org

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The 8 Hottest Hurricane Sandy Recovery Jobs Right Now

The Hottest Hurricane Sandy Recovery Jobs Are in

Construction jobs in high demand after major disasters

Construction Sector

It is our hope is that we can pull together as a nation to help rebuild the communities affected by Hurricane Sandy. To help in the effort to rebuild and put the unemployed to work, we have put together a list of the hottest hurricane sandy recovery jobs. This is by no means a comprehensive list. We fully expect the federal government and each affected state to mobilize an effort to create thousands of temporary disaster recovery jobs. To find more information on recovery employment, please go to FEMA.gov or your state’s emergency management and department of labor websites.

  1. Architects: Many commercial building and home owners will use the hurricane damage as an opportunity to update and upgrade their holdings. Architects will be at the forefront of the new designs.
  2. Building & Construction Inspectors: Every bit of new construction will have to be inspected to make sure it meets the updated codes and regulations.
  3. Construction Estimators: Estimators find the costs of construction in materials and working hours. They will be busy throughout the recovery.
  4. Construction Trades: Skilled construction trades such as brick layers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers will be high demand as well.
  5. Civil Engineers: The hurricane did serious damage to bridges, roads and other infrastructure. Civil engineers will be involved in the design and construction of these damaged areas.
  6. Electrical/ Utility Technicians: In the short-term, the utility industry will rely heavily on crews from other states to restore power. Over the long-term, major sections of the water damaged electrical grid will have to be replaced and there will be a need for new technicians.
  7. Equipment Operators: Bob cats, bulldozers and crane operators will be in high demand to clear debris throughout the affected region.
  8. Hazardous Materials & Solid Waste Handlers: Besides destroying buildings and infrastructure, disasters create a lot of trash. Some of it is hazardous to public health. Workers in this area will responsible for the clean up, disposal and recycling of hazardous materials and solid wastes.

 Important Articles

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Disaster Relief Jobs : Do You Have What It Takes?

Disaster Relief Jobs Growing Fast

Let’s start with a question: Have you ever considered  Disaster Relief jobs as a career?  If you haven’t, you do not have to look very far to realize that they are one of the fastest growing career fields in the environmental sector. Earthquakes, floods, oil spills and wild fires are forcing government agencies  and corporations to recruit a cadre of trained professionals who can step into a crisis situation help people  in need and start the rebuilding process. The problem with disaster relief is there are not enough trained people to respond to each situation. So if you are a job seeker who is interested in doing this type of work, here are some action steps you can take:

 Action Steps For Disaster Relief Jobs

  • Decide if  Disaster Relief jobs are right for you : There are few easy or plush office jobs in disaster relief industry. Most of the jobs require long hours working outdoors  in hazardous conditions in remote areas. If you are a person who likes to work indoors or does not like hard labor, these jobs may not be right for you.
  • Get Educated and Trained: Make it a point to attend as many training courses as possible especially FEMA’s Incident Command Training, 40 Hour HAZWOPER and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. These courses will be key components in moving from a volunteer position to a paid one. There are also accredited college degree programs in estimating, environmental management and safety which will increase your value as well. Applicants who complete these programs are also in high demand by law enforcement, industrial firms and relief agencies. There are also certifications like CHMM. CHMP and HMMT and training programs from EPA and OSHA which could enhance long-term career aspects.
  • Document Your Experience On Your Resume: Make sure you add all of your deployments and training to your resume. If you are in a volunteer status, get a reference letter from your supervisor on your volunteer organization’s letterhead which acknowledges your time of service and duties. Information like this will become important for future interviews.
  • Get Your Name in the Cadre Database: Agencies like FEMA and some private companies maintain databases of workers who are “called up” when a disaster strikes. These people usually fill some of the higher paying and longer term positions. To be successful in these opportunities, job seekers should make sure that their unique experience and skills are fully documented. The better your resume and experience, the earlier you get the call.
  • Network, Network Network: Disaster Response professionals and volunteers work all over the world. Many of them have connections to non-profit organizations, government agencies and companies who can offer future employment. Get business cards and contact information from project managers, supervisors and government officials so you can build relationships and leverage their international, national and local network contacts. Don’t forget to use social media tools like LINKEDIN to stay connected.

Think About It For A Moment

This kind of work is not for the timid, greedy or those who cannot handle tragedy. However it is for those who want an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. Ask yourself: Am I ready for this?

 

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Hurricane Irene Mobilization Underway

Red Cross has started opening shelters; gathering supplies mobilizing equipment and volunteers for Hurricane Irene in the northeast  Click Here for more information

 Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)  Information click here 

 FEMA Information click here

Stay Tuned to Hinton Human Capital for more details on Disaster Related jobs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Steps To Turn Your Disaster Recovery Experience Into A Career

Take Advantage Of The Opportunity

Have you ever considered becoming a Disaster Recovery professional? Most people do not realize that emergency response/ disaster recovery is one of the fastest growing career fields in the environmental sector. Government agencies at all levels and corporations are looking for professionals who can step into a crisis situation and make things go smoothly. One of the biggest issues that comes up in this industry is millions of dollars and hundreds of man hours are spent on training people who may not be available when the next crisis situation occurs. The goal  of this article is to show job seekers how to leverage their disaster recovery experience and training into a new career.

Action Steps

  1. Decide if an environmental disaster recovery career is right for you : The environmental disaster industry is not filled with easy or plush office jobs. It may mean working outdoors for long hours in hazardous conditions after earthquakes, floods, oil/chemical spills and terrorist attacks in devastated cities or remote areas around the world. One of the little known facts about paid disaster jobs is they tend to have high turnover because individuals find out that work is harder than expected.
  2. Get educated and trained: Make it a point to attend as many training courses as possible especially FEMA’s Incident Command Training, 40 Hour HAZWOPER and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. These courses will be key components in moving from a volunteer position to a paid one. There are also accredited college degree programs in estimating, environmental management and safety which will increase your value as well. Applicants who complete these programs are also in high demand by law enforcement, industrial firms and relief agencies. There are also certifications like CHMM. CHMP and HMMT and training programs from EPA and OSHA which could enhance long-term career aspects.
  3. Document Your Experience On Your Resume: Make sure you add all of your significant achievements and training to your resume. If you are in a volunteer status, get a letter on your volunteer organization’s letterhead which acknowledges your time of service and duties. Information like this will become important for future interviews.
  4. Get Your Name in the Cadre Database: Agencies like FEMA and some private companies maintain databases of workers who are “called up” when a disaster strikes. These people usually fill some of the higher paying and longer term  positions. To be successful in these opportunities, job seekers should make sure that their unique experience and skills are fully documented. The better your resume and experience, the earlier you get the call.
  5. Network, Network Network:Disaster Response professionals and volunteers work all over the world. Many of them have connections to non-profit organizations, government agencies and companies who can offer future employment. Get business cards and contact information from project managers, supervisors and government officials so you can build relationships and leverage their international, national and local network contacts. Don’t forget to use social media tools like LINKEDIN to stay connected.

Think About It For A Moment

This kind of work is not for the timid, greedy or those who cannot tragedy. However it is  for those who want a huge opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. Ask yourself:  Am I ready for this?

Suggested Reading And Websites

Readers Q&A: Are You Part of a Trained Community Emergency Response Team?

Resume Writing Services

Hinton Human Capital Job Opportunities

FEMA Disaster Job Opportunities

Institute of Hazardous Material Management

FEMA Incident Command Training

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