Emergency Manager Exchange

News & Announcements

Program Details

Nomination Instructions

Available Assignments

The Emergency Manager Exchange (EMX) Program brings state, local, tribal and territorial emergency managers and government officials to Washington, D.C. to work with FEMA leadership on the development and implementation of policies and programs.

News & Announcements

This staff exchange program allows FEMA and its partners a new way to collaborate in support of emergency management priorities. Both organizations benefit as they develop important program direction, share diverse and dedicated workforces, and consider solutions for the future of emergency management. 

Additional information about the program is below.

• Each participant’s host government organization must nominate their applicant.
• These are full-time, paid assignments and participants should expect to work 40 hours per week for FEMA. The exchange duration is 4-6 months between March and August 2023.
• Consistent with federal ethics obligations and guidance, while at FEMA, non-federal government exchange participants may not work on issues that directly involve their home jurisdiction of employment.
• Depending on the nature of the work assignment, participants will work in-person at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C., from one of FEMA's Regional Offices or share the time between their home organization’s work location and a FEMA office. Participants must work from the FEMA office a minimum of one week per month. 
• FEMA will reimburse the participant’s home organization for the cost of the participant’s salary, (up to $66.54 per hour) plus benefits, for the duration of the assignment. FEMA will also cover travel costs and federal per diem, to the extent authorized under the Federal Travel Regulation.
• The exchange is authorized under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program, which allows for temporary assignment of personnel between the federal government and other governmental entities and eligible organizations.  
• Anyone selected to participate will be required to enter into an Assignment Agreement (OF-69) with FEMA outlining the specific requirements of the assignment.

To nominate an employee from your state, local, tribal or territorial government organization for the exchange, please prepare a nomination package that includes the following information: 

1. The nominating office point of contact. This should be the nominee’s supervisor or someone in a higher-level leadership position. 
2. A letter of nomination from the leadership of the governmental program or organization. The letter should explain why the candidate is nominated for the exchange. The letter should also contain the nominator’s contact information to include phone number and an email address.
3. Please indicate the specific FEMA role your candidate would fill from the assignments available (see Available Exchange Assignments below).
4. Please indicate the emergency management capability gaps within your organization that a visiting FEMA employee might support while your nominee is working at FEMA.
5. The nominee’s resume. It should include contact information for the nominee, including phone number and email address.
6. Submit the completed package to FEMA-EMX-Nominations@fema.dhs.gov. 
7. After your governmental organization submits a nomination, a member of the FEMA team will contact your office to confirm the nomination and may later contact your nominee directly if they are selected for an interview. 

The FEMA Recovery Directorate exchange program participant will help deliver disaster recovery assistance to survivors and communities. Duties may include: 

• Provide advice and guidance on how to deliver disaster recovery programs and services.
• Manage components of emergency management programs and activities.
• Administer programs and plans impacting the delivery of recovery services to support people and communities affected by disasters.
• Make significant contributions to the coordination and development of recovery program doctrine, tools, and training.
• Evaluate and make substantive recommendations on streamlining recovery program delivery and measuring program performance and outcomes.

The FEMA Response Directorate exchange program participant will be split between the Operation Capability Office, which is responsible for administering and maintaining the agency's Crisis Management System and Mission Assignment Program, and the National Response Coordination Branch, responsible for the readiness and operations of the National Response Coordination Center.

Duties may include:

• Serve as an advisor for the notification, communication, dissemination of information, and the mobilization and direction of emergency response resource capabilities.
• Coordinate and assist activities so they can continue essential functions during any event or incident.
• Build emergency management and support capabilities and maintain and ensure the readiness of the capabilities by analyzing risk and need.
• Assess, oversee, report and manage the readiness of capabilities.
• Capture lessons learned and identify corrective actions.
• Assist in creating guidance covering core emergency response principles; roles and responsibilities of first responders, local law enforcement, and other stakeholders in immediate response.
• Work toward the preparedness policy objective of achieving a shared understanding and a common, integrated perspective across all mission areas.
• Address issues raised by regional partners and provided recommended solutions.

FEMA Resilience works to reduce future risk and incentivize capability building to reduce needless suffering after disasters and build a more resilient nation. Resilience includes several programs that provide risk information, planning and capacity building, federal insurance and risk reduction investments, all aimed are preparing communities for today’s risks and emerge stronger for tomorrow.

Resilience is seeking two exchange program participants to work out of its front office, one focused on climate adaptation and the other on equitable implementation of Resilience’s programs. Ideal candidates may have backgrounds in climate adaptation, equity, social science, public health, sustainability, housing, etc.

This exchange program participant will work with FEMA programs to implement Goal 2: Lead Whole of Community in Climate Resilience of the 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan and coordinate climate adaptation activities throughout the Resilience organization, and coordinate with partners internally and externally on climate adaptation policy, programming and public information and services.

Desired experience:

• Climate resilience, including integrating climate adaptation and sustainability into program delivery;
• Mitigation, and/or disaster recovery experience to assist with facilitating the further integration and ongoing coordination between FEMA’s pre- and post-disaster resilience and recovery programs.
• Ideal candidates may come from an emergency management agency, resilience/sustainability office, environmental agency/department, housing agency/department, climate office, etc.

Duties may include:

• Supporting Resilience and agencywide climate adaptation efforts, including coordinating internally within Resilience and across FEMA programs and regions. Coordinating externally with government partners and across the federal interagency to ensure coordinated efforts on climate adaptation policy, programming and public information and services.
• Providing FEMA programs with government-partner perspective in the development of climate related policies and programs to improve success in implementation.
• Supporting Resilience and FEMA-wide resilient housing efforts, including developing and designing investment strategies to make existing housing more resilient to all-hazards.

This exchange program participant will help implement Goal 1: Instilling Equity as the Foundation of Emergency Management of the 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan and coordinate equity-related activities throughout the Resilience organization, and coordinate with partners internally and externally to improve equitable delivery of policies, programs and services.

Duties may include:

• Providing Resilience programs with government-partner perspective as FEMA strives to improve disaster outcomes for underserved communities and ensure equitable delivery of FEMA’s programs and services.
• Coordinating with Resilience programs to provide targeted assistance to disadvantaged communities to help them access and leverage FEMA programs.
• Supporting Resilience and FEMA-wide housing efforts to further resiliency and increase sustainability in housing markets to meet the needs of the community, including the need for accessible and affordable housing.