Joining the Team

Thank you for your interest in NJ-1 DMAT. Before applying, please read all of the information on this page.

  • The process for prospective members can be slow. Due to team size limitations and other hiring restrictions, new openings are posted fairly infrequently. Your patience is appreciated.

  • Full time federal employees may be restricted from deploying with DMATs (as Intermittent Employees).

  • EMT-B's: We will no longer be hiring EMT-B's to the team. Instead, consider if you qualify for other positions (e.g. logistics). The NJ Medical Reserve Corps or your local CERT or also be good alternatives.

  • For additional information, please review:

Executive Summary for Prospective Members

  • The New Jersey Disaster Medical Assistance Team (NJ-1 DMAT) is a Federal disaster medical team based in New Jersey. The team is part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), under the authority of the United States Department of Health and Human Services / Office of the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response.

  • NJ-1 DMAT deploys anywhere in the United States as a fully equipped, self-sufficient, mobile field hospital with a complete medical team including physicians, RNs, respiratory therapists, social workers, EMT and paramedics, pharmacists, and many logistics, communications and support personnel.

  • Upon request of the Federal Government, we deploy to natural and man-made disasters where the local healthcare infrastructure has been depleted or overwhelmed; types of disasters include hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, bombings, wildfires, etc. The team has deployed to a variety of events, including the 9/11 Terrorist attacks, Hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Additionally, we are pre-deployed to Federal High Security details, such as Presidential Inauguration, State of the Union Addresses, the funeral of former President Gerald Ford, and the last two Olympics in the U.S.

  • The time commitment of NJ-1 membership is three team activities per year, such as meetings, training sessions, or deployments. Meetings are held throughout the state, but mostly in the Central and Northern parts of the state, where the greatest numbers of our members reside. You must also complete an on-line training program, with some annually recurring requirements. Some courses may provide CEU/CME credits.

  • The team is "on-call" three months of the year, although DHHS has extended our on-call by 2-4 weeks after some on-call months (due to elevated threat levels and predictions for severe weather). You provide your availability before each of these months for a 2 week deployment. You can change your availability should an incident occur and your situation changes.

  • As funding becomes available, two sets of uniforms are provided to each member, including 5.11 polo shirts & 5.11 khaki colored uniform pants. It is recommended that each team member purchase additional t-shirts and an additional pair of pants. In addition, you are required or advised to purchase some personal equipment that could cost $200.00 or more (e.g. uniform boots, duffel bags, sleeping bag, etc). Some equipment may be provided by the team, and you may already have much of the required equipment. Uniform and personal equipment needs can be discussed at your interview.

  • As an intermittent federal employee, you are paid an hourly wage commensurate with your job title. Additionally, you are paid a per-diem amount for meals and incidentals during deployments and paid training events. Travel expenses and workman’s compensation are provided for by the Federal Government. Being a federal employee, the federal government extends to you licensure in all 50 states and any protectorates.

  • If you have any questions regarding the application process, please email the team’s administrative section at admin@nj1dmat.org.

Prospective Member Letter

Dear Prospective Team Member:

Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the New Jersey Disaster Medical Assistance Team (NJ-1 DMAT). You are in the beginning stages of a multi-step application process.

It is important that you read all letters and paperwork carefully and follow all instructions. Failure to do so can significantly delay your application.

Please create a saved search alert on USAJobs.gov. Once a matching position has been posted, you will be notified so that you may begin the competitive application process. Among other things, the application will generally require a resume that reflects a minimum of one-year full time (or equivalent) experience performing the position for which you are applying, along with copies of all appropriate credentials.

At some point during the process, you may also be invited to an interview where you will have the opportunity to meet with experienced team members, ask questions, and learn additional information about our team.

If at any time during the application process you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at (856) 340-6751. I will do everything possible to assist you.

Once again, thank you for your interest in joining our team.

Sincerely,

Catherine Morrison

Administrative Officer,

NJ-1 DMAT

How to Find Openings and Apply

Members of our team are hired as intermittent federal employees via a centralized process controlled by the Department of Health and Human Services.

To find openings on DMATs across the country, please search for "National Disaster Medical System" on USAJobs.gov (with quotes).

You may then save that search (illustrated below) to create an email alert and be notified when new openings become available. You may also wish to create a separate saved search for "NDMS".