FEMA Disaster Assistance Employees (DAEs) 
are temporary employees that, like military 

reservists, deploy anywhere the call for FEMA 
help is needed.

Spring 2009
The Red River of the North has crested to the 

highest levels in history. FEMA DAEs are on 
the ground to help coordinate the federal 

response to this disaster. Several talk about 
working in their home state of Minnesota.

So I am one of the FEMA people reservists. 

volunteers, who are from the state, there are a 

number of them, who are called in to disaster 

situations to try and help out in some way. It's 

a real thrill in many ways although the work of 

course is very serious, it's nice to be back 

here.  I've been on the road a lot last year, I 

was in Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, and I just 

got back from the state of Washington where I 

was working with slides, mudslides and 

flooding in the Olympia area and the Olympia 

Peninsula but it's nice to come back to 

Minnesota, this is my home, and it's nice to be 

back in this state it's a great state. 

It's very nice to be home. It's nice to have the 

comforts of home and be with my wife and 

having my family be able to come and see me 

and helping my home community is a major. 

How should I say this?  It's a major pleasure 

to do it in my home community but whether it's 

this (my) community or any other community, 

they're going to get the same services of a log 

chief It doesn't make any difference where I'm 

at, I just can't change hats because

I'm at home.

But I think there is a self reliance here and a 

kind of rugged independence that's maybe is 

different than metro areas.

Well, first of all, I see a lot of those qualities in 

the people I work with who are from all over 

the country, we're not the only ones who have 

itthere are some very dedicated fine people 

with FEMA, working very hard, very long 

hours, and helping as much as they can. I tell 

you I'm very glad to have some of those 

qualities and bring it to the organization 

because it blends in with what I see 

and feel here.

For more information go to www.FEMA.gov