Community Preparedness Intern

Community Preparedness: Do you have an interest in both community-facing public engagement and emergency management services? Apply for a Community Preparedness internship today to assist in maintaining and strengthening the relationship between the Department of Emergency Management and Sonoma County community members. Learn more about this opportunity:

If you're looking for a meaningful and impactful internship experience, consider Sonoma County’s Department of Emergency Management. As an intern, you'll have the opportunity to learn about and contribute to critical efforts related to disaster preparedness, communications, response, and recovery. You'll gain hands-on experience working with an exceptionally dedicated and knowledgeable team, and you'll be able to apply your skills and education to real-world challenges. Plus, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your work is contributing to the safety and resiliency of your community in the face of emergencies. Apply now for an exciting and rewarding internship opportunity at the Sonoma County’s Department of Emergency Management! The Department of Emergency Management offers unpaid graduate and post graduate internship opportunities.

Minimum 10 - 20 hours per week for 3 or more months. For in department internships hours must be scheduled in 3 to 8 hour blocks of time during regular business hours (Monday through Friday between 8 A.M. and 5 P.M.).In many cases you will be able to complete your work in a hybrid fashion with much of your work being done from home.

Internship Description: Community Preparedness Internship Title: Community Preparedness Intern Department/Staff: Community Preparedness/Nancy Brown Student objectives of internship: Provide assistance to the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management, specifically with a focus on general community preparedness communications, and fostering/maintaining a strong preparedness communication relationship with the community, with an emphasis on writing, reviewing, and researching general preparedness communications. Duties, responsibilities, projects to be performed for the agency*: The Intern will provide assistance to the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management’s Community Preparedness division in the form of reviewing, evaluating, and crafting messaging campaigns regarding preparedness communications with the public, which include but are not limited to: fire season, water conservation, earthquake and tsunami preparedness education, and mental health topics. The Intern will evaluate and provide upkeep on previous community preparedness messaging campaigns and help craft new language for future messaging campaigns, as well as maintain and analyze social media platform interactions. The Intern shall also have opportunities to partake in public-facing events such as community meetings, webinars & seminars, and inter-office Sonoma County department meetings. Interns with multilingual capabilities will have the opportunity to craft messaging in languages they are proficient in. *In the event of an active emergency situation in Sonoma County, the Intern may be required to shift their responsibilities and duties from the aforementioned Duties, responsibilities, projects to be performed for the agency to providing support and assistance to the Emergency Operations Center. The Intern may be required to participate in gathering information which will be dispersed to the public, assist in crafting language for Sonoma County’s social media platforms about the emergency situation, provide hotline support by answering phones and providing information to callers as requested, or participate in any other duties and activities as assigned by the Supervisor during the emergency situation. Training/orientation provided by the agency: Introduction to the Department of Emergency Management of Sonoma County’s communication goals, procedures, and style. The Department shall also provide resources for the Inter to review regarding appropriate, effective general community preparedness communications. Oneon-one mentorship with a Department Supervisor shall provide the Intern with professional development in effective communication.

Process of evaluation by supervisor including approximate number of site visits: Work can be completed in a hybrid manner: remote and on-site visits to be determined by the Department, Intern, and Staff Supervisor. Within the first week of internship, the Intern shall determine with the Supervisor specific project objectives and goals, and create a Gantt Chart (or equivalent) to ensure adherence to project deadlines and deliverable dates. The Intern will be wholly evaluated based on this agreement, as well as periodically throughout the internship during agreed upon remote or face-to-face meetings between the Intern and Supervisor. Required Skills/Attributes High school diploma or equivalent; currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program (or higher); excellent composition and interpersonal communication skills; interest in community education; knowledge of communications platforms; familiar/proficient with Microsoft Suite applications; strong language comprehension. Preferred Skills/Attributes Interest in quantitative and qualitative research; self-starter work ethic; effective time management capabilities; curiosity, enthusiasm, and discipline; familiarity with digital messaging platforms. Student Intern General Responsibilities: ● Adhere to Sonoma County work hours, policies, procedures, and rules governing professional behavior ● Adhere to Sonoma County policies governing confidentiality and handling of confidential materials and/or information ● Assume personal and professional responsibilities for the student’s actions and activities ● Maintain professional relationships and professional conduct with peers, managers, and the public ● Utilize courteous, enthusiastic, critical approaches to policies and procedures outlined by Sonoma County ● Prepare for and utilize opportunities for learning afforded by Sonoma County ● Ensure consistent and punctual submission of work assignments or designated duties to the student’s supervisor or coordinator ● Provide periodic progress reports to or attend periodic meetings with the student’s supervisor or coordinator ● Be comfortable with a self-directed, autonomous work environment