Change your world, change your life! Spend a year as an AmeriCorps National Service Volunteer assisting disaster-affected communities, fighting wildfires, and conserving natural resources with a team of passionate people committed to making a real difference. Are you ready for your next adventure?
The AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team (ERT) is a multi-functional rapid deployment group based out of St. Louis, Missouri, that has been called out nationally to floods, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, search and rescue, ice storms, and terrorist attacks. For over two decades, the ERT has continuously proven to provide highly successful programs, partnerships, and trainings, making it a model to other National Service programs across the state and country. When not responding to natural disasters, the ERT functions as a conservation corps that assists the Missouri Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, and local Missouri organizations with various natural resource projects,including trail building and maintenance, habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and prescribed burning.
Members serve within a 42-Member team for an 11-month term as a full-time National Service Volunteer from mid-September 2020 to mid-August 2021. All Members receive extensive trainings and certifications throughout their term in the areas of emergency response, environmental stewardship, and wildland firefighting. Some of these trainings include team building and leadership skills, introduction to disaster services, chainsaw and other power equipment operations, supporting people in crisis, risk management approaches, Incident Command System, emergency communications, and other basic emergency medical care.
Daily Life On any given day, an ERT Member could:
- Provide immediate and long-term relief in areas affected by natural disasters
- Restore Missouri forests, river-ways, and recreation areas
- Build and maintain trails, bridges, cave gates and more
- Fight wildland fires or participate in prescribed burns in Missouri or Western States
- Conduct disaster response and preparedness trainings for communities and other national service organizations
Members receive a monthly living stipend, in addition to a $6,000 Education Award after the completion of the program. This Award can be used towards federal student loans or future tuition costs (please see www.nationalservice.gov for more information). Health insurance reimbursement is also provided, if applicable.
Qualifications
All AmeriCorps Members must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. National, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien; be at least 18 years old; have at least a high school diploma or GED; and must pass a national service criminal history check.
Members must be in excellent physical condition for the entirety of their service term. The baseline level of fitness includes being able to pass the wildland firefighter pack test: a 3-mile walk carrying a 45-lbs pack completed in under 45 minutes.
Members must have the ability to function as supportive and dependable teammates, even in times of extreme stress and adversity. A love for the outdoors and traveling is desired as ERT Members spend most of their service out of town, living communally in rustic conditions.**
How to apply
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all slots are filled. A PDF version of our application can be found on our website, www.acstl.org. Interested applicants can download the application, fill it out, and email it to admin@americorps-stl.org. They must also send our reference form (available on our website) to 2 references who must fill the form out and email it to the same address. Applicants can also go to my.americorps.gov and search for our program and fill out an application through the AmeriCorps national job portal.