What will I do in this position if hired?
In this Telecommunications Specialist (Mobile Communications Office Vehicle Operator) - Reservist position, you will be a member of the Disaster Emergency Communication Cadre and will be responsible for the operation, set-up, and support of Mobile Communications Operations Vehicles (MCOV), including movement planning, motor vehicle maintenance and operation, communications equipment set-up and maintenance, and IT and Administrative support and training of Site Personnel. Typical assignments include:
- Operating an MCOV in accordance with Federal and State regulations. The MCOV fleet includes Class A recreational vehicles and Class 1 Emergency Vehicle chassis;
- Conducting a chassis pre-trip inspection and routine vehicle operating maintenance, including identifying engine and drive-train issues, checking the oil, checking the tires, and climbing on top of the MCOV for satellite antenna troubleshooting;
- Establishing satellite connectivity, local area networks, and entire office communications with limited support; including configuring radios, radio repeaters, telephones, computers, wired and wireless local area networks, and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) satellite network communications;
- Maintaining MCOV operational capabilities and providing IT and logistical training and field support on-site at a disaster, by evaluating performance of communications systems, performing corrective maintenance checks and services for vehicle and generator, and considering cost/benefit factors;
- Providing information through verbal briefings and well-organized daily/weekly reports and logbooks, using Microsoft Office Suite programs, to report to both leadership and the public at mission sites.
What else do I need to know?
At FEMA, our mission to help people before, during and after disasters; so, every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management. Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.
As a Reservist Employee, your role is to support response or recovery efforts. Reservists are intermittent, on-call employees. Please note that this is not a full-time position, and you only are paid when deployed. Deployment frequency and length varies based on disaster response need. Due to the irregular nature of disasters, Reservist employees are not guaranteed regular recurring hours, deployments, or renewal of employment.
The Civilian Reservist Emergency Workforce (CREW) Act protects the job rights of FEMA Reservists while they are deployed to disasters, emergencies, and critical trainings by including FEMA Reservists under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployments Rights Act (USERRA). This means that if you hold another job, you are able to deploy as a FEMA reservist and your job will be protected. It also protects you against penalization, discrimination, or loss of employee benefits as a result of your deployments to disasters, emergencies, and critical trainings. For more information, please visit FEMA.gov/careers or review the USERRA Resources from the Department of Labor.
FEMA is committed to ensuring that its workforce reflect the diversity of the nation. At FEMA, our workforce includes the many identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, ages, cultures, and beliefs of the people it serves. To learn about the ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts, reasonable accommodation process, and the FEMA Core Values, please visit fema.gov.
Starting at $28.45 Per Hour (IM 1)
