AmeriCorps St. Louis

The AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team (ERT) is a multi-functional rapid deployment group that has been called out nationally to floods,  tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, search and rescue, ice storms, and terrorist attacks. When not involved in disaster response or preparedness activities, the ERT assists the Missouri Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, and local Missouri organizations with trail maintenance, habitat restoration, and other natural resource projects.

The ERT is highly skilled, thoroughly trained, equipped and organized to quickly deploy to impacted communities. The team supports emergency managers and relief agencies in addressing critical unmet needs. In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, some ERT Members focus on critical life safety needs. The team assists with search and rescue, initial damage assessment, debris clearance, distribution of life sustaining supplies and outreach to impacted families. At the same time, other members collaborate with community leaders to effectively manage volunteers, coordinate donations and help develop a structure to address immediate relief and long-term recovery needs. 

The preservation of our country’s natural resources and national parks is an important aspect of ERT. We serve on various conservation projects in Missouri, Illinois, and Montana. We partner with the U.S. Forest Service, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the National Parks Service, and local agencies. These environmental stewardship projects include exotic invasive species removal, trail construction, trail maintenance, bridge construction, preserving wilderness areas, maintaining and rehabbing recreational areas, prescribed burns, planting trees and wild land fire suppression.