Category Archives: Employment

Paramedics in Body Armor?

Paramedics in Body Armor?

Cleveland EMS units will now need to wear body armor during calls for service in the field.

Effective December 21, 2015 the Cleveland EMS Director ordered her employees to begin wearing their issued bullet-proof vests while on calls in the field. For example, Paramedics would be required to wear the personal protective equipment while responding to a medical emergency at an apartment complex but not at court or at the hospital. Though the EMS Director stated that no specific threats have been made against the department, she did cite incidents in other jurisdictions (such as Detroit) where Paramedics had been attacked. In the public safety community we have always known that first responders (i.e. police, fire, ems) are potential secondary targets of attacks; however, we don’t always see them as potential targets at rather routine call for service–such as the infamous “difficulty breathing” call that always seemed to come about the time I was scheduled to go home.

This is the first EMS service I could find that has started requiring body armor during all calls for service. One of the big questions is what happens if someone takes their body armor off to better perform their duties during a medical response? Are they still able to receive workman compensation benefits? This will be a muddy area that may find precedent from the law enforcement community.

Government and Social Media Webinar

Social Media and Law Enforcement Webinar

This great webinar covers various aspects of what Law Enforcement (and Emergency Management) agencies should be thinking about when it comes to interacting on Social Media.

Emergency Management Magazine hosted a Webinar on February 19th, 2015, sponsored by ArchiveSocial. I got the chance to review this webinar recently and found it incredibly eyeopening as to all the legal issues that could arise when it comes to a government agency having a social media presence. Though the webinar is relatively light on the actual statute and case law specifics lawyers have come to know and love, the three speakers bring up several good policy considerations for Law Enforcement and Emergency Management professionals.

The speakers include Lauri Stevens, Principal Consultant and Founder of LAwS Communications and Anil Chawla, Founder and CEO of ArchiveSocial. The webinar is moderated by Morgan Write, a National Media Technology Analyst and Senior Fellow for the Center for Digital Government.

The entire webinar is just at an hour long and is well worth the view. To register and view a recording of this free webinar, visit Emergency Management Magazine’s website here.

– Will

 

Texans Needed for FEMA Jobs

Texans Needed for FEMA Jobs

FEMA is looking to hire short-term help to get communities back on their feet from this summer’s severe weather throughout Texas.

The Corsicana Daily Sun reported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has partnered with the Texas Workforce Commission to hire a slew of Temporary-Workers to help the state recover from the severe weather and flooding we experienced in May and early June of this year. Applications will be accepted through July 24th, 2015 or until all the positions are filled. Positions are available in various areas including: Administrative/Clerical, Customer Service, Logistics, Report Writing, Switchboard/Help Desk, and Technical/Architecutre/Engineering.

There are several different types of federal government employment: (i) Full-Time, Permanent, (ii) Part-Time, Permanent, (iii) Full-Time, Temporary, (iv) Part-Time, Temporary. These positions will fall in to the 3rd and 4th categories as previously mentioned. What that means for job seekers is that this will be a good gig, until the job is done. Not that this is a bad thing, but it is important to know that going into it.

What are the details and the process? Candidates must go online to www.workintexas.com and fill out an applications. Qualified candidates will then be forwarded onto FEMA staff in either Austin, Denton, or Houston for selection and interview. Candidates must meet the following qualifications for their applications to be considered must be at least 18 years of age or older and a U.S. Citizen. Be aware, candidates will be required to have valid government identification cards such as a military ID or drivers license and be able to pass a background check that includes fingerprinting.

Though it sounds like a lot to take in, if you’ve ever desired to find out what its like to work with FEMA, it could be an awesome once in a lifetime experience. For college students out on break this summer and looking for a job, this just might be the thing you need to help bolster that resume of yours!

– Will

Read the Article here.