# Presentation: 251374

## Professionalism in Emergency Management

- The Road to Certification In Emergency Management Excellence
**Colonel Bob Ditch, USAF, MSC, MSHS, CEM**

## Emergency Management Certification Programs

The CEM/AEM® Application 

“A Survivors Guide”

- The CEM/AEM® Application
- “A Survivors Guide”

## Presentation Outline

**Introduction/Purpose**
**Definition**
**Requirements**
**Application Pitfalls**
**Conclusion/Questions**

## Purpose of any Certification Program

- To elevate the visibility of the specific profession
- Encourage and mandate continued professional development, education and technical skills
- Ensure minimal criteria of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) of the profession

## Foundation of A Profession

- Foundation of A Profession

**Experience     Education      Training**

## Why Get Certified?

**Why Get Certified****?**

## What Does Certification Bring With It? 

**What Does Certification Bring With It?**

**NOTHING!**

## What Does Certification Offer You To Get Out Of  The Effort For It?

**What Does Certification Offer You To Get Out Of  The Effort For It?**

**Development**
**Discovery**
**Maintenance of Skills**
**Education**
**Maturation**
**Lessons Learned**
**Years Of Experience **
**Others?**

## What Do  I Get With Certification ? 

**What Do  I Get With Certification**** ?**

**Big Deal!**

**CEM**

## What Can Certification Bring With It?

**What Can Certification Bring With It?**

**Growth **
** ****Recognition**
** ****Promotion**
** ****Opportunities**

## So What Do I Need To Demonstrate To Become A CEM

**So What Do I Need To Demonstrate ****To Become A CEM**

## Definition of a CEM®

** **A** Certified Emergency Manager is an individual**** ****who possesses the **_**knowledge**_**, **_**skills**_** and **_**abilities**_** ****to effectively manage a comprehensive management program.  That program can be in, but not limited to, local government levels, business and industry, military contingency operations, health care related response/planning or educational institutions.  It designates prescribed training and educational criteria plus a working knowledge of all the basic tenets in emergency management that are encompassed in the phases of Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.**

## CEM® Definition (cont.)

- CEM® Definition (cont.)

**    ****In addition, Certified Emergency Manager clearly denotes interactive experience and knowledge of interagency as well as community-wide participation in planning, coordination, and management functions designed to improve emergency management capabilities. The Certified Emergency Manager can effective accomplish the goals and objectives of any emergency management program in all the environments listed above with *****little or no***** additional training or orientation.**

## So Where Can I Get Started?

**So Where Can I Get Started?**

## APPLY!

**APPLY!**

**So Where Can I Get Started?**

## Certification Process

- Application
- Credential Process
- Testing
- (Re-Certification)

## CEM® Credential Requirements

- Emergency Management Experience	(3 years full-time equivalent minimum)
- Three Professional References
- Actual Disaster/Contingency Experience or Substantive Role in Managing a Full-Scale Exercise
- Education (*any* 4-year BA/BS degree)*
** (2 additional years of “applicable” full-time job experience may be substituted for each year of college education)*

## CEM® Credential Requirements (cont.)

- 100 hours of Emergency Management Training and 100 hours of General Management Training				         *(No more than 25 hours in any one subject matter area, and needs to show training in all phases of CEM)*
- Contributions to the Profession 		      (minimum of 6 out of 12)  *Examples include speaking, teaching, publishing, service on a Board, Commission, leadership role, memberships, etc...*
- Comprehensive Management Essay

## CEM® Certification Requirements

- Comprehensive 100-question Multiple-Choice Examination			*(Applicant must get 75% or better to PASS.  Test is multiple choice and administered through a variety of methods)*
- Recertification Requirement every 5 years.

## AEM Requirements

-    All the _sam_e requirements as the CEM® program,
- 			*except** *
- that applicants need not have a baccalaureate degree or any formal college education or lack sufficient time on the job to meet the educational waiver

## Application Pitfalls

## Application PitfallsGeneral Considerations

**What Will Kill You First**
-  **Incompleteness**
** ****Sloppiness**
**  ****No order**
**  ****Lack of documentation**
**  ****Missing Info**
**  ****Invalidated Claims**

## Application Pitfalls

**        ****Work History & Experience**
-    No _Official_ Job Description with Application
- Unaccounted Periods of Employment
- Especially for Volunteer and Part-time Credit
- Letter Showing Relationship or % of Time in Emergency Management
- Failure to show full-spectrum of experience in Comprehensive Emergency Management

## Application Pitfalls

**    ****Three Professional References**
- Actual Points Of Contact
- Weekend/After-work Phone Numbers Helpful
- Brief Who You List Beforehand

## Application Pitfalls

**  ****Actual Disaster/Contingency Operational Experience or Substantive Role in Managing a Full-Scale Exercise**
- Significant Role Must Be Documented
- Tangential Roles To Often Shown

## Application Pitfalls

**   ****Education**
- Official and/or Notarized Transcripts
- Transcript Must State Degree Conferred
- Send In Graduate Level Transcripts Even If No Degree Conferred Yet

## Application Pitfalls

_**100 hours**_** of Emergency Management Training**** ****and**** **_**100 hours**_** of General Management Training****	**
- Biggie is No More Than 25 Hours in Specific Area (300 Hours of HAZMAT is Very Impressive...but Doesn’t Fill Square)
- Can’t Count Under-graduate Work....But Can Count Graduate Work (15 Hr/Sem Hr)
- Don’t Forget EMI Independent Study (IS) Courses  (usually about 10 Hrs each)

## Application Pitfalls

- Contributions to the Profession

**  **

## Contributions to the Profession

**Membership**
**  ****Service Role**
**  ****Leadership Role**
**  ****Special Assignment**
**  ****Speaking**
**  ****Teaching**
**  ****Publication**
**  ****Course Development**
**  ****Audio Visual and Interactive Products**
**  ****Awards and Special Recognition**
**State Certification**
**Legislative Contact**
**Other**

## Application Pitfalls

- Contributions to the Profession
- Cannot Be Job Related
-  Highlight Yourself
-  Talk to a Mentor
-  Contributions...Not Just Attributions
-  We Need to See the Documentation
-  Letters Will Suffice for Tapes/Videos
-  We Normally Can See Through Smoke

**  **

## Application Pitfalls

- Comprehensive Management Essay
- Tells More About You ...Than You Think!
- Professional Writing/Communication Skills
- Demonstrated Knowledge Of CEM Components/Phases
- Ability to Display Your KSAs
- Spelling and Grammar _Do Count_
- “*First it should weigh enough...Two double spaced pages wouldn’t be enough for Hemingway!” *

## Who Makes Up The CEM Commission

**Who Makes Up The CEM Commission**

**Federal Government**
**State Government**
**Local Government**
**Private Industry**
**Education**
**Military**

## CEM FactoidsAs of September 24, 2002

- 560 current CEMs
- Seven current AEMs
- In 48 states and two countries
- 336 have been certified more than
- 	5-years
- $450 total fee for enrollment, application and exam ($325 for IAEM members)

## Are There Other Certifying Agencies I Can Affiliate With ?....

**Are There Other Certifying Agencies I Can Affiliate With ?....**

## Other Affiliations And Certifications

- Other Affiliations **And Certifications**

_***American College of Contingency Planners***_* *of the American Academy of Medical Administrators
-         _**Certification**_**:** **CEM Recognized**
_***American Society of Professional Emergency***__*** ***__***Planners (ASPEP) ***_ requires CEM or similar professional certification as a criteria for membership.

## Other AffiliationsAnd Certifications Continued

- Other Affiliations**And Certifications Continued**

_***Department of Defense - ***_* Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support (DANTES) offers the IAEM certification exam to military personnel.  Check their website *_[www.voled.doded.mil/dantes/cert/](http://www.voled.doded.mil/dantes/cert/)_
_**Certification**_**:** **CEM Recognized**

## Conclusions and Questions

## The Effort Is Real

**CEM**

**The Effort Is Real**

## Professionalism in Emergency Management

- The Road to Certification In Emergency Management Excellence
**      ****Ph 1-757-836-7639, **_[ditch@](mailto:ditch@jfcom.mil)__[jfcom](mailto:ditch@jfcom.mil)__[.mil](mailto:ditch@jfcom.mil)_
**	****   ****Website: www.iaem.com**