FEMA hiring locals to help with Hurricane Ian recovery

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is looking to fill more than 300 jobs in five Florida cities to help with the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Ian.

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The positions are full-time, 120-day appointments that could be extended if needed. They include everything from customer service to engineering roles.

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FEMA Spokesperson Jann Tracey says it’s something they do after every disaster, bringing in locals to help get the recovery moving.

“They know right away which areas were affected, how badly they were affected,” Tracey said. “We don’t have to train them in that capacity.”

The 300 available jobs are in Orlando, Kissimmee, Sarasota, Brandon, and Fort Myers.

The local hire is first brought on for about six months, but Tracey says there is the potential for it to become a more permanent job.

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“There are jobs that span the entire gamut from inexperienced to highly-experienced,” Tracey said. “It’s not a dead-end job.”

Orlando resident and FEMA employee Bart McAllister is an example of what can happen. He says he started working with the agency after Hurricane Maria.

McAllister went from a local hire to what FEMA refers to as a “reservist.”

“I mostly help the people who help the applicants,” McAllister explained.

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The jobs offer pay rates ranging from 16 dollars per hour to as much as 29 dollars per hour.

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