The Onboarding and Orientation Branch is responsible for the management, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement for FEMA's prospective new employees. Your first day at Onboarding will prepare you for your career at FEMA.
The Onboarding and Orientation Branch team members are responsible for the coordination of the employee Onboarding process, to include the administrative mechanics of integrating an employee into the organization. Our team works in partnership with the Office of the Chief Component Human Capital Officer (OCCHCO), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Office of the Orientation Chief Security Officer (OCSO), and Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (OCAO).
Below you can find information regarding the Onboarding and Orientation process, which will take place during your first two weeks on duty.
Reasonable Accommodation(s) Request
FEMA provides Reasonable Accommodation(s) to qualified employees and applicants with disabilities. Reasonable Accommodation requests are granted on a case-by-case basis. Medical documentation may be requested if the disability is not obvious.
Visit Reasonable Accommodation webpage for more information.
Incident Management Workforce Onboarding
If you are being hired as part of the Incident Management Workforce (Reservist, Incident Management CORE (IM-CORE), Field CORE (IML), Regional Incident Management Workforce CORE (IMR), please defer to FEMA Incident Workforce Academy (FIWA) for reporting instructions and training details.
Onboarding and Orientation Timeline
Onboarding Toolkit
Find forms and other resource documents to help you get on board as a new FEMA employee.
View the Onboarding Toolkit
Week One
Onboarding prepares you to work for FEMA by giving you the equipment and information necessary to start your job. Your first day reporting for duty is the most important for Onboarding since you will get your equipment and profiles set up that day.
Orientation prepares you to work for FEMA by introducing you to FEMA’s mission, organizational structure, and the resources offered to you as a FEMA employee. You will receive the Adobe Connect login information after you have set-up your FEMA email account. It is a full day of mandatory briefings.
Onboarding Timeline
| Pay Period | |
|---|---|
| Monday* | Onboarding Go to FEMA Office for: - PIV Badge (Verify your 2 forms of valid ID meet this criteria for List A & B) - Issue and Set Up Equipment (e.g., computer and iPhone) - Oath of Office |
| Tuesday | Get to know your manager and team. |
| Wednesday* | FEMA Virtual Orientation Day 1 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET. |
| Thursday | FEMA Virtual Orientation Day 2 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET |
| Friday | FEMA Virtual Ethos Education Training 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET |
*If Monday is a federal holiday, Onboarding will be pushed to Tuesday. FEMA Orientation and Ethos is Mandatory Training and will occur on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Week Two
There are no further onboarding and orientation activities from the FEMA Office of the Chief Human Capital Office (OCHCO) after week 1.
Get to know your manager and meet with your HR liaison to discuss the New Hire Checklist and Post Onboarding Toolkit. The New Hire Checklist and Post Onboarding Toolkit will be emailed to you by the FEMA Onboarding Team.