Work, work, work

Have you ever read JTHM? I suggest you do, if you enjoy sick and twisted things (And who doesn't?). I also highly recommend Invader Zim! In fact, just about anything by Jhonen Vasquez.

So, right now I am at work. I am typing on my break, in order to keep myself sane!

Let me tell you a little about my office and a little about my job. I work for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Soon to be renamed the Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, or some such). That's right, I work for the Governator! Well, not really. I am doing cost-share merging right now. I am a paper-pusher.

But, back to what I was saying: The Office of Emergency Services (OES) is a California State Agency run on Federal rules. Basically, we are here to help out if a real disaster happens (No, the next door neighbor's dog ruining your petunias is not a disaster). Let me explain, in short, the process that all states must go through, as figured out by the Federal Government.

When a disaster happens (Such as an earthquake knocking your house off it's foundations, or a flood ruining your decor) then the person, agency, or business puts in a request for aid with their local government (City or County). If the disaster is widespread and costly enough, the local government may not be able to handle it themselves. And so, they ask for help from their Region. There are three Regions: Coastal, which takes care of most of the northern coast; Inland, which takes care of most of the Central Valley and Northern California, all the way over to the border with Nevada; and Southern California, which requires no explanation, really.

When the Region gets the request for aid from the local government, they assess the disaster, and begin to help out. By coordinating resources from various counties and cities to help out, they can bring a larger grouping of resources to bear upon a local problem. They also provide aid in the form of money to help rebuild, and to help mitigate disasters (That is, make the area safer, for the next time this happens). If the disaster is large enough, or costly enough (or if it goes across two or more Regions) then the Region will call upon the Governor to declare a State Emergency. Once that happens, OES takes over and begins coordinating a wider set of resources, even getting help from other states through the EMAC.

Now, if OES realizes there is no way they can handle what is going on, the Governor asks the President to declare a National Emergency. At that point, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is called upon to assist.

Now, how this relates to my job: When FEMA and OES work together, there is a lot of duplicate paperwork. It has been accruing for years. I am here to get rid of the duplicate paperwork and pare down our shelf space. So, now you know: I am a paper-pusher.

Edit: I got Jhonen Vasquez's name wrong! I am such a disloyal fan. Corrected for spelling.