Hey everyone. So I figured that it was time for me to post again. I have a ton of updates to mention here. It has been about two months since my last post! I cannot believe that it is almost December!
So to update everyone on the past two months:
First things first, and I need to mention how great Induction was in Vicksburg. It was a time where I felt very proud to be serving as an AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps Team Leader! I was able to walk alongside my fellow TLs and CMs and experience something very few Americans get the chance to participate in. The weekend right after induction I got to go somewhere that I've always wanted to go to. Y'all may think i'm a major redneck for this but all well. I was able to visit the headquarters of Duck Commander (as some would know better as Duck Dynasty). While there wasn't a ton to see, I still was able to pose for a photo op in front of the famous "Duck Commander, Buck Commander" sign. Turns out that West Monroe, LA where the headquarters is happens to only be about an hours drive from Vicksburg. It was well worth the trip. I got to get me a t-shirt to proudly represent and to remember the trip by.
Next the week following induction was one that I will never forget. We were in the midst of FEMA Academy which was the FEMA Qualification System (FQS) training where CMs would be trained in the various areas in which they are working out in the field. The areas range from Logistics, to Public Assistance, to Disaster Survivor Assistance. This is wonderful that our CMs are receiving the exact same training that FEMA Reservists participate in. The catch 22 of this was that it began and ran during the midst of the Federal Government Shutdown. It was a real challenge for everyone as the Southern Region Campus Staff was cut down significantly. The staff was cut down to less than ten people who were excepted individuals. The rest of the more than 30 people on staff were put on furlough. I have nothing but praise for the staff at the Southern Region for being able to work hard to provide for the Corps during the trying time. They did there very best in a time where it was needed.
Part way through that week things made a drastic change for me. On Tuesday of that week the Director of Unit Leadership who was my supervisor's (Unit Leader's) boss called me into her office. She told me that three of the STLs in Vicksburg were going to need to move to the Atlantic Region Campus based in Perry Point, Maryland. I initially was very hesitant to even consider this idea because I'd grown so very close to Team Green in Vicksburg! I came into the program hoping to make good friends and leaving would mean I would be leaving my Ameri-family that i'd grown very close to. Turns out with the furlough going on it was taking a toll on the Atlantic Region and they needed help because they were supposed to be in the midst of a major move of campuses from their current location at Perry Point, MD to Baltimore, MD which is about 45 minutes to an hour away from one another depending on traffic. Many reasons were cited why they needed support. When it all came down to it, when I found out that three of the STLs would have to either be moved, kicked out of the program, or dropped down to Corps Members, I knew that I needed to do the right thing and take the opportunity to have a new experience and prevent someone who was not from the East Coast to have to make this move. This was one of the hardest decisions of my life. I did not know that I would be moving until a little after noon the following day. At that point in time, we were told that we'd have to leave the following morning in order to drive the 1,100 miles distance by that same Friday before close of business (4:30 pm). The goodbyes that ensued were some of the hardest I've had in my entire life. It made me realize how close I had gotten to each and every one of the Team Leaders and even some of the Corps Members who I had become friends with. Regardless of whether or not i'm at Vicksburg, i'm still always going to be a Summit at heart! Hey summit where ya at? So thus the adventure began. Myself along with two other Vicksburg STLs were about to being a road trip that would take us 1,100 miles, across six states within less than two days.
Looking back on the move, it was one of the hardest things in my life and while I'm enjoying my time here at the Atlantic Region, I wish things had been done in a way that took feelings and the human end of things into account. To pull someone away from an already established group that had just gone through two long months of training, bonding, and norming was just not right. I hope that the organization never forces something like this to happen ever again! It is unheard of happening in the past and I believe that myself and the other two STLs may in fact be the first ever time this has happened.
Since arriving to Perry Point, MD I have driven well over 2,000 miles for various duties. I have taken on the Unit Support Team Leader role for the Otter Unit of FEMA Corps. To give a little background, each unit here at the Atlantic Region is named after an animal of the unit leaders choosing. For example the traditional NCCC units are Buffalo, Moose, and Raven. The two FEMA Corps units are Otter and Terrapin. The caveat to that is that once a Unit Leader leaves their position as a Unit Leader, the unit retires with the Unit Leader. Past units have included Wolf, Eagle, and Badger. Since my arrival here I have had the pleasure to meet a ton of great people. The staff here have been very supportive of me and that is great. The traditional NCCC STLs were so welcoming and I am truly grateful for their generosity and their kindness in welcoming us to Perry Point. Evan, Courtney, Stephanie, Chandler, Ben, Emily, and Laura were all great! I am so glad to have met them. I was able to go attend their graduation ceremony last week and they have since left to head home onto post AmeriCorps lives. They will be greatly missed!
I am currently working with the Director of Unit Leadership here on a great project. With the new building being renovated, I recognized the need for an Emergency Action Plan to be made for it. I have been slowly working towards this. I will be going down to Baltimore in the future to inspect the new building and brainstorm what may be needed to prepare the campus for the inevitable. I am also working on a project now with FEMA HQ that will eliminate some of the disconnect between the five FEMA Corps campuses. Team Leaders will have the opportunity to share resources and best practices to help make the difficult job maybe even just a little less challenging.
It is very likely that I will be doing a lot of traveling next round as I work to complete and refine the project I am working on with FEMA HQ.
One of the coolest things I got to do since I've been back to the East Coast was I had the opportunity to attend the New York State Governor's Conference on Emergency Preparedness in Albany, NY a few weeks ago. It was a great networking opportunity and an even better learning opportunity. I am pretty certain that my friend Matt and I were the youngest two people in the room.
I have acclimated myself with many of the teams and Team Leaders here. They are all great! I got to spend a little more than a week bouncing between two teams. They are both great and I am grateful for getting the chance to stay with them. Otter 2 and Otter 4 what up! During that mini-deployment I was able to visit college friends on Long Island and then work in New Jersey and New York working with teams on Post-Sandy recovery. During that time I even got the chance to participate in an Independent Service project working on a Habitat for Humanity house working with New Jersey Coastal Habitat which focuses now on rebuilding and renovating homes devastated by the storm last year.
I will be heading home this weekend for my two week break which will put my home at Thanksgiving and that will be a ton of fun seeing friends and family and getting the chance to jump back in the Ambulance. Two weeks home i'm sure will go extremely quickly. I suppose y'all should be able to expect more frequent posts now that you know i'm in the Atlantic Region and my blog has been resurrected from the dead.
So long for now...
