Mississippi’s emergency management officials are looking for some good men and women.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has begun a disaster reservist program to assist state and local emergency management officials during disasters.

“They are trying to fill disaster reservist positions across the state,” Warren County Emergency Management Director John Elfer said. “They will pay volunteers while they are deployed to disaster areas as needed under the program. There are 18 positions available, including purchasing and acquisitions, communications, human resources, safety and security. These volunteers will help fill the gaps in the state’s disaster response and assistance programs.

“I’ve already had 10 to 15 people contact us asking about the program,” he said.

According to MEMA, the reservists will be trained in their selected skill area and be paid $23 per hour for as long as they are working in a disaster area. They will also receive a $41 per day per diem, mileage, worker’s compensation and other benefits. The state will pay for lodging if it is required and available during the deployment.

“The volunteers can tell MEMA where they are willing to go and can determine how long they can stay in an area,” he said. “In some cases they may be called to work in their communities. I would like to see a number of Warren County residents sign up for this program, so if we have a disaster they would be able to help us here.”

People interested in becoming a disaster reservist must be at least 18 years old and fill out an application that is available online at msema.org.

For more information, contact the Warren County Emergency Management office at 601-636-1544, or go to the MEMA website.