CEM Corner: updates to the cem® credentialing process
The most significant recent
change in the Certified
Emergency Manager® (CEM®) Program is the formal education requirement. Until Jan. 1, 2010, all candidates for the CEM® had been allowed to utilize work experience or a combination of work experience and formal education.
“The IAEM Board of Directors has extended the time frame for non-U.S. applicants without a four-year baccalaureate degree to be eligible for the CEM®. These candidates may still substitute additional years of experience for formal education until Jan. 1, 2012. For U.S. applicants beginning Jan. 1, 2010, the program requires a four-year baccalaureate degree to satisfy the education requirement.” (IAEM 2009) Other requirements include experience, references, training, professional contributions, essay, and written examination.
For non-U.S. CEM® candidates, 11 years of work experience (with no formal education) is the requirement. For each year of college education the non-U.S. candidate presents in his or her portfolio, that reduces the work experience by two years. - U.S. CEM® candidates will still need to validate a minimum of three years of full-time comprehensive emergency management experience. This may be paid or volunteer, full-time or part-time; however, the sum of all the parts must equate to three years or more. If the CEM® candidate presents a baccalaureate degree in emergency management, the work experience requirement becomes two years minimum.
The CEM® Commission updated several of the tools that are provided for CEM® and AEM candidates’ use: the CEM®/AEM Study Guide, Contributions to the Profession, Training Allocation Chart, and CEM® Corner tips for writing the comprehensive emergency management essay.
The revised CEM®/AEM Study Guide contains generalized and specialized CEM® and AEM questions for the USA and other Council countries. The CEM®/AEM Study Guide is a useful tool to help prospective CEM® candidates to focus their study efforts. The “Written Essay” section of the CEM® Corner has many useful tips for skilled and non-skilled writers.
The CEM® Commission will meet in three onsite review panels during 2010: Feb. 9-12, June 10-12, and Sept. 15-17, 2010. Portfolios must be sent to IAEM Headquarters no later than two weeks prior to a CEM® Commission meeting to be considered during that review cycle. The address is IAEM, 201 Park Washington Court, Falls Church, VA, 22046-4527.
- The CEM® Commission would like to recognize and thank Nick Crossley, CEM, for his outstanding contributions and leadership as the chair of the CEM® Commission for 2009, and welcome Gordon Deno, CEM, as the CEM® Commission Chairman for 2010.
- The CEM® Commissioners would like to recognize and thank IAEM Membership Director and Registrar Sharon Kelly for her many years of excellent service and support to the CEM® Commission and the CEM® Program.
- Also, the CEM® Commissioners would like to welcome Angela Jackson, our new IAEM Certification Administrator and Project Manager for the CEM®/AEM Program. Both Sharon and Angela have done a great job of managing the CEM® and AEM programs, and helped our CEM® Commissioners with projects and travel arrangements.
- An additional note of special thanks goes out to Daryl Lee Spiewak, CEM, CFM, TEM, for contributing to this article series and updating the tool box with helpful information for the CEM® Corner. The success of many of our CEM®/AEM recipients comes from Daryl’s great work.
The CEM® Commissioners encourage member or non-member potential CEM®/AEM candidates to frequently visit the IAEM Web site at www.iaem.com/CEM for announcements of future changes or revisions to the IAEM CEM®/AEM Program requirements.
Watch for the next edition of the CEM® Corner in the IAEM Bulletin for information about the comprehensive written examination.
February 2010, IAEM Bulletin
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