Office of Emergency Management Access and Functional Needs Spring 2027 Internship

Internship Opportunity

The Office of Emergency Management, Planning Section, leads the Division's integrated response and short-term recovery planning efforts. Our section is comprised of two specialized units: Operational Planning and Public Safety Communications. Together, these units provide critical planning support to the Division, State agencies, local emergency managers, and key stakeholders across Colorado. Colorado's Access and Functional Needs (AFN) program connects government and community groups to integrate access and functional needs into emergency management plans that include everyone, especially people who need extra help during a disaster. The goal is to equip emergency management stakeholders to effectively address CMIST (Communication, Maintain Health, Independence; Safety, Support Services, and Self-Determination, and Transportation) resource disruptions for their whole community throughout the disaster cycle. The program offers:

• Help Local Communities: Gives tools to state and local offices to build emergency plans that include people with access and functional needs.
• Community Member Disaster Planning: Helps local planners run workshops so families can prepare for disruptions to health, safety and travel.
• Advise Leaders: Integrate access and functional needs into emergency planning and operations.
• Interpretation and Instruction on Emergency Management Laws: Explains how to follow state laws about accessibility during emergencies.

Trainings and Events:

• Facilitate and Create Training: Trains communities on how to prevent, protect against, lessen, respond to and recover from disasters.
• Host a Yearly Conference: Leads and plans the annual Colorado Access and Functional Needs Conference at a no cost registration for Colorado Emergency Management and partners.
• Strengthen Disaster Readiness: Helps the State Emergency Operations Center practice safety drills before disasters happen and serves as Access and Functional Needs Officer in response.

About the 2027 Spring Internship This unpaid internship offers a supportive learning environment where students can apply their academic knowledge to real-world public-sector challenges. Interns will gain practical experience, expand their professional networks, participate in professional development, and develop a portfolio of work that supports future career opportunities Work Environment Format: Hybrid Position (in-office attendance (Centennial Office) is flexible, with a preference for Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) Commitment: 9 to 16 hours per week Core Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM Internship Opportunities:

• Event Production: Assist in producing accessible events and the Access and Functional Needs Conference. Responsibilities include managing picture-in-picture (PIP) production, using OSEE for hybrid events, and coordinating video recordings with language interpretation, ASL, and captioning.
• Marketing: Support marketing initiatives for the Access and Functional Needs Program, including the development of newsletters, monthly meetings, and training materials.
• Data Analytics: Analyze data to measure project success and facilitate the transfer of knowledge from Access and Functional Needs meetings, trainings, and conferences.
• Event Planning: Coordinate events, including presenter selection, agenda development, and sponsorship outreach for the annual Access and Functional Needs Conference and related meetings.

What You'll Gain:

• Hands-on experience working on meaningful projects
• Exposure to professional and public service career pathways
• Mentorship and collaboration with experienced emergency management professionals
• Professional development and skill-building opportunities

We encourage current students eager to build real-world experience, develop professional skills, and explore careers in Emergency Management to apply!

Note, to be considered for this position, you must meet one of the following options for consideration.

Proven Experience, Knowledge, Skills No prior professional experience is required. Candidates should be eager to learn in a fast-paced environment and possess a strong desire to understand our work. We value reliability, flexibility, and trainability. The ability to travel as needed is also required. Current enrollment in a Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's programs in one the following degrees: Project Development, Project Management, Emergency Management, Public Information Officers, Data Management, Theatrical Design, Media Production, Disability Studies, Universal Design, Hospitality, Event Planning, Human Services, Management, Business Administration, Communications or a closely related field with an accredited college, university, or community college.

Conditions of Employment:

• Requires successful completion of a background investigation that includes a polygraph exam, a fingerprint based criminal history search, reference checking.
• Minimum commitment of 9 to 16 hours per week
• Active enrollment in a Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's program

Disability Accommodation If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure equitable opportunity applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to Human Resources at: cdps_hr@state.co.us.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

Colorado Department of Public Safety is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.

Recruitment Timeline Information and Important Notices:

• Applications are considered complete and accurate at the time of submission. Therefore, additional information may not be solicited or accepted after your application has been received.
• Closing Date: All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications may proceed to the next step. Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process.
• Supplemental Question: Effective responses to Supplemental Questions will directly relate to your professional experience, career accomplishments, and views about organizational values and approaches, and how they relate specifically to this position and requirements as you understand them. Answers generated by AI-tools will typically be unresponsive.
• Transcripts: An unofficial copy of transcripts must be submitted at the time of application should education be used as qualification. Transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be assessed for U.S. equivalency by a NACES educational credential evaluation service. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and must be included as part of your application materials. Failure to provide a transcript or credential evaluation report may prevent your application from moving forward in the selection process.

Application Tips: For an overview of State of Colorado application process and application tips, please view this video.

Resumes, Cover Letters, or other documents submitted will not be reviewed, assessed, or used in the initial stages of the comparative analysis (transcripts submitted to verify that the applicant meets either the education requirement or minimum qualification substitution are exempt from this).

Notifications: All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be sent via email to the email address listed on your application. Include your current working email address on your application and check the email provided on your application frequently as you could receive time sensitive correspondence regarding this position. We highly recommend that you set up your email to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "info@governmentjobs.com" addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email.

Comparative Analysis Steps may include (dates are tentative and subject to change):

• Structured application review by a panel of SMEs (September 23-27)
• Panel Interview - October 12-16 (Tentative)
• Anticipated start date: January 2027