08-12-2016, 08:35 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-12-2016, 08:40 PM by Life Long Learning.)
I have EM Certificates and Professional Certifications. I have all four levels below. My take is this:
#1 - EM Degree (but any degree flavor with a CEM is still better) for newbies. Experienced disaster folks (cops/fire/EMS/military) with BS degree can drop to #2 and #3 and never need #1.
#2 - EM Professional Certifications (listed after your name), CEM (#1); the CEM-ME/ORCEMS/ALEM (State CEM's), MEMS, etc. are other second tier, but useful ones in your State and as talking points.
#3 - Homeland Security Professional Certifications, CHS-V, CHPP, etc.
#4 - EM Certificates, too many to list and of less value that the above. The 99% of the College EM Certificates are a waste of $$$ and time (do a EM degree). The FEMA Certificates are fun and more useful and free.
*****I just applied for one College Emergency Management Certificate (totally FREE) and after I obtain it I will write about it.
*****I just applied for one State CEM Emergency Management Certification that is very inexpensive and achievable.
*****I might apply for a second State CEM Emergency Management Certification.
I was just back in Maryland taking a course at the National Emergency Management Academy (free if you volunteer for CERT, VOAD, Red Cross, etc.).
Two instructors and two students were studying to take not the CEM, but the PMP. I also want to be called a Pimp.
milelol:
#1 - EM Degree (but any degree flavor with a CEM is still better) for newbies. Experienced disaster folks (cops/fire/EMS/military) with BS degree can drop to #2 and #3 and never need #1.
#2 - EM Professional Certifications (listed after your name), CEM (#1); the CEM-ME/ORCEMS/ALEM (State CEM's), MEMS, etc. are other second tier, but useful ones in your State and as talking points.
#3 - Homeland Security Professional Certifications, CHS-V, CHPP, etc.
#4 - EM Certificates, too many to list and of less value that the above. The 99% of the College EM Certificates are a waste of $$$ and time (do a EM degree). The FEMA Certificates are fun and more useful and free.
*****I just applied for one College Emergency Management Certificate (totally FREE) and after I obtain it I will write about it.
*****I just applied for one State CEM Emergency Management Certification that is very inexpensive and achievable.
*****I might apply for a second State CEM Emergency Management Certification.
I was just back in Maryland taking a course at the National Emergency Management Academy (free if you volunteer for CERT, VOAD, Red Cross, etc.).
Two instructors and two students were studying to take not the CEM, but the PMP. I also want to be called a Pimp.

Tedium Wrote:I didn't end up pursuing a certificate, though I would still really love to. If I had my pick today I would go with Frederick Community College. It's established and known in the EM world, It's pretty cheap, and there was just the one Gen Ed class to take, though that may have changed now.
I'm not even at that job anymore, so right now I'm focusing on my hotel management role, so it's kind of on the backburner. I may have gone through with it sooner if I had a better experience with the American Red Cross. I think it may have just been bad timing.
I see you have quite a few certs yourself. Did you have any words of wisdom to add for me?
Non-Traditional Undergraduate College Credits (634 SH): *FTCC Noncourse Credits (156 SH) *DSST (78 SH) *CPL (64 SH) *JST Military/ACE (48 SH) *CBA (44 SH) *CLEP (42 SH) *FEMA IS (40 SH) *FEMA EM (38 SH) *ECE/UExcel (30 SH) *PLA Portfolio (28 SH) *EMI/ACE (19 SH) *TEEX/ACE (16 SH) *CWE (11 SH) *NFA/ACE (10 SH) *Kaplan/ACE (3 SH) *CPC (2 SH) *AICP/ACE (2 SH) *Sophia/ACE (2 SH) and *FRTI-UM/ACE (1 SH).
Non-Traditional Graduate College Credits (14 SH): AMU (6 SH); NFHS (5 SH); and JSU (3 SH).
Non-Traditional Graduate College Credits (14 SH): AMU (6 SH); NFHS (5 SH); and JSU (3 SH).