Americorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team

AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team

Join AmeriCorps St. Louis as a full-time National Service Volunteer for a unique and life-changing experience.

As part of our 42-Member Emergency Response Team (ERT), you'll serve for 11 months alongside other passionate, hard-working people committed to making a real difference by preserving and restoring our environment as well as responding to natural disasters. Our AmeriCorps program provides a challenging and fun opportunity to explore the conservation, fire, and disaster fields; serve the environment and local/state/national community; meet people from different backgrounds; enjoy an outdoor office; earn money for education; and be a part of a supportive, welcoming community. No prior experience is necessary, and all experience is welcome.

We are most interested in finding a diverse corps of people from different backgrounds. People with less traditional experiences are highly encouraged to apply. Successful ERT Members are willing to learn new skills and have the ability to function as supportive and dependable teammates, even in times of extreme stress and adversity.

Members should be flexible, open-minded, and prepared for a variety of unexpected experiences throughout their term of service. Through the program, Members receive training and certifications in a variety of skill sets including chainsawing, wildland firefighting, and emergency incident management. Additional opportunities to develop leadership experience through the Assistant Team Lead program are available later in the service term.

These experiences and certifications leave Members well qualified in related career fields after their service term. Further help on this page can be found by clicking here.

Member Duties : The ERT is a multi-functional rapid deployment group based out of St. Louis, Missouri, that has been called out to respond across the country to floods, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, ice storms, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team is thoroughly trained and equipped to support emergency managers and relief agencies in addressing critical unmet needs, particularly in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The ERT also functions as a conservation corps that assists partner organizations with vital natural resource management and restoration projects, including trail building and maintenance, habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and prescribed burning. A position with ERT requires extensive walking, bending, kneeling, lifting, pushing, stooping, standing, carrying loads of up to 50 lbs, handling hand and power tools, and other physical labor for extended periods of time. Members will serve primarily outdoors, in all kinds of weather (heat, cold, rain, snow, etc).

Program Benefits : Living Allowance , Education award upon successful completion of service , Mental Health Resources , Training , Health Coverage .

Terms :

Uniforms provided and required .

Service Areas :

Public Safety , Community Outreach , Environment , Disaster Relief .

Skills :

Writing/Editing , Leadership , Environment , Conflict Resolution , Team Work , Community Organization , Communications , First Aid , Disaster Services , Public Speaking , Computers/Technology , General Skills .