And states haven’t been waiting idly in the background. The National Emergency Management Association’s 2012 Biennial Report revealed that 30 states have certification programs for emergency management personnel, an increase from 23 states in 2010. Some states require that their emergency managers complete the state-run certification, while the majority are voluntary programs that provide these professionals with additional insight into their role as well as a way to validate and recognize their knowledge.
The certification programs vary by state’s needs, and while they all cover the basics (i.e., mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery), each state is unique, therefore so is their approach to these programs.
Training in the Green Mountain State
Vermont began offering a certification program about two years ago, the driver being an aspect that makes the state stand out from others: 99 percent of its local emergency management directors are volunteers. “As a result, we needed to create a pathway for the new emergency management director who just signed up for the position and then asks the question, ‘Well, what do I do now?’” said Robert Schell, chief of field operations for Vermont Emergency Management. “It’s also a way to provide recognition.”
The state runs two levels of certification, with the first one providing what Schell describes as being “like the liberal arts background” of emergency management courses. In addition to classroom-based courses, the level one certification uses FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute independent study classes. The distance learning works well for the first certification level because the volunteer emergency management directors can study from their homes when they have time.
Level one certification also includes a three-hour course, called the local emergency management director program, which offers an educational foundation for the volunteer directors but doesn’t claim to be the end-all on the topic. “We emphasize in that class that we will not provide you the answers to everything, but we will provide you the places to find the answers,” Schell said. Additionally, during the 41 hours of course time required to earn the level one certification, two American Red Cross classes are featured because, as Schell said, “Who is better at managing people’s needs than the Red Cross?”
Vermont’s level two certification is composed of 61 hours of course time, including a 21-hour Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program class.
Schell said almost 15 people have completed the level one certification, and Hurricane Irene spurred more interest in the program.
Mike O’Neil, executive director of the Vermont Division of Fire Safety, was the first person to complete level one certification and began working on it while he was the emergency management director of Burlington. “Getting some kind of formal indication of where you are and what your knowledge base is and your ability — documenting that experience was important to me.”
In addition to providing an educational base and way for the state’s emergency management directors to be recognized, it removes the guesswork for people who weren’t sure which classes to take or what order they should be taken. “The intent is to give people a pathway that we have lacked in the past,” Schell said. “We have offered FEMA courses and state courses, and people didn’t necessarily know what to take and what the logical progression is.”
A Four-Level Overview
After observing that emergency management roles were being filled by professionals outside the fire and police jurisdictions, Wisconsin launched a voluntary certification program in 1994. While addressing the professionalization of the field, the “program was designed for dedicated individuals who seek professional status and certification in the field of emergency management,” according to a state memo.
The training consists of four levels: awareness, performance, planning and management, and the emergency management professional. David Nunley, the training section supervisor for Wisconsin Emergency Management, said the tiers build off one another and the classes are a combination of independent study and in-person classes. The certification program uses some FEMA courses, and in some cases, FEMA courses that have been altered to fit the state’s needs. For example, during the planning and management level, students participated in a response and recovery workshop through FEMA, but it’s no longer online. “We Wisconsinized that so that emergency managers are able to understand how we in Wisconsin react because we do things differently than Florida, California or other states that deal with other emergencies and have different command structures,” Nunley said.
The training culminates with a 100-question exam; those who score a 70 percent or better get to add the emergency management certification to their resume, as well as receive a pin and a certificate signed by the governor. As of press time, 92 people had graduated from the program, which takes, on average, two to four years to complete based on the availability of classes and other factors.
The state’s hospital preparedness director, Kevin Wernet, said completing the certification exposed him to the other facets of emergency management and the capacities of the different systems, as well as helped him establish a network with others working in the field. That knowledge was beneficial during the response to the extreme heat over the summer, Wernet said. “Having that network and having that understanding of the capabilities and capacities of all the different systems you’re exposed to throughout the program really helped.”
And the program has evolved as more people seek the certification. In December 2011, Wisconsin Emergency Management and the Wisconsin Emergency Management Association updated the program’s requirements, which included adding the FEMA Advanced Professional Series. At the same time, the 18-year-old program received a high-tech update with the launch of an online training portal. Purchased through the Texas Engineering Exchange Service, the portal helps the state organize how it offers trainings, Nunley said. The website, www.trainingwisconsin.org, helps track student registration and also provides the ability to create a transcript for students of the courses they completed. “It helps them in career advancements as well as when they’re coming out of college and trying to get into the field,” he said.
California’s 41-Year-Old Program
One of the oldest programs in the U.S. is the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI). Overseen by the California Emergency Management Agency, the institute was established in 1971 and began training emergency managers 35 years ago. The CSTI offers numerous certificates in public safety and homeland security, including an emergency management specialist certificate.
Aside from its age, what distinguishes it from other training programs is its method. Col. William Hatch, the CSTI’s director, said the focus is on instructor-to-student education. “You learn from the instructor by having that bond in the classroom,” he said, adding, “You have the one-on-one ability to interface with the very experienced emergency managers who teach our courses.”
The CSTI’s campus is located in San Luis Obispo, but Hatch said about 70 percent of the courses are taught in other locations throughout the state. Another important aspect to the CSTI’s courses is that many end with a hands-on exercise. For example, a four-and-a-half day earthquake course in San Mateo in August culminated with a full functional exercise that included an EOC activation. “It gives the ability to see what an EOC should look like, what it should feel like, what it should sound like, and what the critical tasks are that you have to do to be successful,” Hatch said.
“I think that’s what sets us apart from the other trainings throughout the country. We want them to have hands-on experience and leave here with a certain degree of confidence that they can do their jobs and they’re trained to do their job.”
Hatch estimated that the institute has trained 300,000 emergency managers since 1977. Although California’s emergency managers aren’t required to get the specialist certificate, the classes are sought after by professionals who want to beef up their resume and gain more insight into the job.
Gov. Jerry Brown had planned to eliminate the CSTI in December to help balance California’s budget — a move that Hatch said, “would be devastating to the ability of local agencies to plan for disasters, to mitigate the disasters, to recover from disasters and manage the disaster while it’s ongoing.” However, at this time there is no plan for the CSTI to close.
The CSTI offers one-of-a-kind training that is universally acknowledged as the best in the country, Hatch said. Furthermore, the institute doesn’t offer training strictly to California’s emergency managers — a trait that Vermont and Wisconsin share. The three state programs are available to others who are interested in emergency management, like the private sector. Vermont’s Schell said its certification program is oriented for emergency management directors, but others aren’t restricted from taking the courses. “We’re really just trying to encourage people to pursue the training,” he said.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated.
