Getting your Certification Application Approved A Guide for First Time Applicants Angie Allen, FPEM Paul Winter, FPEM Lee Newsome, FPEM and FEPA Certification Commissioners 1
Disclaimer The Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA) is not establishing standards governing the conduct of any emergency managers or establishing any set procedures for work performance. The certification program is designed to establish educational, training, and experience criteria relevant to emergency management in the State of Florida and to certify that an individual has met these criteria. You need to be a member of FEPA in order to be certified. 2
FEPA CERTIFICATION DESIGNATION RECOGNITION Class of 2014 Chair - Lee Newsome Vice-Chair - Paul Winter Secretary - Angela Allen
FEPA Certification Commission Area 1 Lynne Abel Daniel Hahn Steve Mewborn
FEPA Certification Commission Area 2 Danny Kilcollins Alton Scott Shayne Morgan Paul Winter (Vice Chair)
FEPA Certification Commission Area 3 Lee Newsome (Chair) Rolf Preuss Dana Shropshire Ed Ward
FEPA Certification Commission Area 4 Angela Allen (Secretary) Dianne Surratt Judd Wright Paul Womble
FEPA Certification Commission Area 5 Larry LaHue William Bill Litton Robert Bob Mitchell Manny Soto April Raulerson-Taylor
FEPA Certification Commission Area 6 Michael Dallenbach Mike Jones Jerry Mallet Steve Simpson Rick Zyvoloski
FEPA Certification Commission Area 7 Veronica Anderson Linda Brown Jeff Maslan Lori Vun Kannon Roslyn Viterbo
Why Are You Here? FEPA is the only professional organization in the State of Florida that provides certification of your emergency management experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities Many organizations provide financial incentives to be certified Employment/position qualifications/requirements Looks good on your resume To become more involved and a stakeholder in your chosen profession 11
Levels of Certification Florida Emergency Management Volunteer (FEMV) Florida Associate Emergency Manager (FAEM) Florida Professional Emergency Manager (FPEM) Underdevelopment Healthcare Concentration 12
Workshop Purpose Many applications are denied on the first review because of errors or omissions Still others are denied because the application is not filled out correctly Omission of supporting documentation A few are rejected as a result of the application being filed for the wrong certification category (Associate or Professional) Application not organized Neatness counts 13
Workshop Intent It is the desire of the Certification Commission to: Ensure consistency and accuracy Improve the first review pass rate Educate future applicants as to the application process, from submission to approval Mentor all applicants (before submission) Assist unsuccessful applicants by providing mentoring for corrective action submission Increase the number of certified members 14
Documentation! The Big Problem Candidate s signature Submission of application fee and current FEPA membership Electronic application must be organized and submitted in Adobe PDF format following the order and instructions of the application for certification. (Will be rejected without review) Neatness counts as part of the review! Be professional 15
Application Cover Page Signature Reviewed Application Disposition - I understand my electronic application will be purged/deleted from the FEPA system following the Annual Awards Ceremony. Post my picture The recertification deadline date is November 1 st at 11:59 pm EST prior to the fourth (4th) year as it appears on my certificate. Applicant Mentored By 16
I Attest I understand that certification is subject to approval by the FEPA Certification Commission and FEPA Board of Directors. If granted, certification is current for a five (5) year period. I will execute the necessary documents and supply further information as determined by the Certification Commission. The completion of this application was my sole effort to document my professional standing. I understand that any false statement or misrepresentation I make in the course of these proceedings may result in the revocation of this application and the issuance of a complaint of violation. I give permission for verification of any information contained in this application package. 17
Comprehensive Emergency Management The term Comprehensive Emergency Management means integrating all stakeholders, in all phases of emergency activity, for all types of disasters. The comprehensive aspect of Comprehensive Emergency Management includes all four phases of disaster activity: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery for allhazards in a federal-state local operating partnership. The certified individual has shown that they are capable of effectively accomplishing the goals and objectives of disaster/emergency management in all the environments listed above. 18
The Application The application form has six sections: Cover Page Work History/Experience includes disaster/exercise experience Professional References Education Training Hours Professional Contributions to Emergency Management 19
FPEM Work History Four years of direct comprehensive Emergency Management-centric experience Preparedness Response Recovery Mitigation Greater than 50% of your responsibilities must be in the areas above to qualify as Emergency Management (EM) experience Two years of your work history MUST be attained in the State of Florida 20
FAEM Work History Two years of direct comprehensive Emergency Management-centric experience Planning Response Recovery Mitigation Greater than 50% of your responsibilities must be in the areas above to qualify as Emergency Management (EM) experience One year of your work history attained Florida 21
FPEM Work History Must demonstrate participation in two (2) of the four (4) phases of Emergency Management: planning, response, recovery and mitigation. Signed letter from the Emergency Management Director or supervisory level management from applicant s jurisdiction or organization. Provide your Position Description Signed letter from the supervisor of applicant stating emergency management is a significant role of applicant s position and dates of emergency management service. Volunteer/internship duties may also be counted. 22
FAEM Work History Must demonstrate participation in one (1) of the four (4) phases of Emergency Management: planning, response, recovery and mitigation. Signed letter from the Emergency Management Director or supervisory level management from applicant s jurisdiction or organization. Provide your Position Description Signed letter from the supervisor of applicant stating emergency management is a significant role of applicant s position and dates of emergency management service. Volunteer/internship duties may also be counted. 23
What Constitutes an Emergency Management Function? Beyond the Four Phases Fire Chief? Public Safety Director? Law Enforcement? Public Works? Public Health/Hospital? Private Sector? VOAD/Faith-Based? Other state/local agencies? 24
What constitutes an Emergency Management Function? Examples: Assigned primary Emergency Management responsibilities for your agency /organization Non-Examples: Firefighters, EMT/Paramedic or Law Enforcement First Responder tasked with EOC responsibilities only during a disaster/drill Fire Chief or Public Safety Director who supervises an Emergency Manager Public Works staff who participates in exercises 25
Disaster/Exercise Experience Must document 48 hours of active involvement in an emergency or disaster event within 10 years Rosters; ICS Forms IAP, 204, 214, etc. Documentation from a Second or Third Party such as: Signed letter from Incident Commander, EM Director or supervisor documenting role and responsibilities, and clearly indicating number of hours actively involved Other supporting documentation may include newspaper articles, photos, certificates/plaques, thank you letters, but not in lieu of the above 26
What is a Disaster? A Disaster is defined as major event involving impacts or threats to life safety and property requiring a declaration of a state of emergency, a state declaration of emergency, and/or a federal declaration, and produces reports (SITREPS, IAPs, etc.). 27
Disaster/Exercise Experience Exercise Credit Must have occurred in the last five years Disaster Credit Must have occurred within the last ten years Exercise/Disaster Experience used under Work History cannot be duplicated in the Professional Contributions section FAEM applicants need one experience FPEM certification, needs two (2) different experiences. This can be two (2) exercises, two (2) disasters, or one (1) disaster and one (1) exercise. 28
Professional References Must have three First reference must be your current supervisor Unless you are self-employed, in which case, see second reference requirement. (three references still required) Second reference should be from your County Emergency Management Director Candidates are encouraged to inform their references that they have been listed. 29
Professional References Other references who qualify are: Past Supervisor Local, State or Federal Official Any public or private emergency service organization official (Red Cross, VOAD, Faithbased, etc.) State or National Emergency Management Association Officers 30
Professional References Reference sources who do not qualify: Subordinate Former student Friends Neighbors Relatives If a reference is in question, consult with a FEPA Certification Commissioner for clarification. 31
Education Section All applicants are required to have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED Must provide a copy of their high school diploma, GED or college diploma in order to satisfy this requirement. Official transcript will satisfy this requirement If there was a name change, a brief written explanation is required to be attached. 32
FPEM Training Criteria 50 hours in General Management Waived with possession of a 4-year degree Copy of the degree or transcript required 150 hours in Emergency Management All EM training must have been completed within the last 10 years of application date 50 hours must have been attained in Florida in a classroom EMI Professional Development Series (PDS) IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800 ICS-300 and ICS-400 33
FAEM Training Criteria 25 hours in General Management Waived with possession of a 4-year degree Copy of the degree or transcript required 100 hours in Emergency Management All EM training must have been completed within the last 10 years of application date 25 hours must have been attained in Florida in a classroom EMI Professional Development Series (PDS) IS-100, IS-200, IS-700 and IS-800 34
FEMV Training Criteria 50 hours in Emergency Management All EM training must have been completed within the last 10 years of application date 35
Emergency Management Phases Initial FPEM certification requires a minimum of thirty (30) hours per phase (out of the 150 hours). Initial FAEM certification requires a minimum of fifteen (15) hours per phase (out of the 100 hours). 36
Training Instructions Documentation must be organized Types of acceptable GM Training Types of acceptable EM Training Courses not listed in the List of Approved Training Training Course Submission Form Maximum of 25 hours in any one topic or subject Emergency Management conferences are given 10 hours of credit each and cannot be duplicated in Professional Contributions 37
Training Instructions Regionally accredited college or university classroom or independent study courses one semester hour = 1.5 quarter hours = fifteen (15) hours toward certification one continuing education unit (CEU) = ten (10) hours toward recertification. A Training Submission Form must be filled out for both of these types of courses. List training courses in alphanumeric order on the Summary of Training Hours Form and present in the order listed. 38
Training Instructions Submit documentation for more than the minimum required hours. This could potentially avoid the denial of the application if a training submission is found to not qualify as valid Applicants with an Emergency Management Degree Follow the chart shows how many emergency management hours are required based on the time since the degree was awarded 39
Training Instructions PDS certificate must be included in the training section Required PDS courses can be included as part of required training hours if issued within the last ten years Required ICS training certificates must be included in the training section. Required ICS courses can be included as part of required training hours if issued within the last ten years. 40
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Training Submission Form Attach to this form a college or FEMA transcript, certificate of completion, or final class roster with your name or other acceptable documentation from the institution that conducted the training. A maximum of twenty five (25) hours will be accepted for any one documented training course. See the FEPA Website for the FEPA List of Approved Training www.fepa.org Documentation must show the number of classroom hours (or college credits for a college course). One college credit equals to fifteen (15) hours and one CEU equals to ten (10) hours 44
Training Submission Form A maximum of ten (10) training hours will be awarded for the successful completion of a FEMA/EMI Independent Study Course except where noted on the FEPA List of Approved Training. A maximum of seven (7) training hours will be awarded per day, unless otherwise documented. Emergency Management conferences, seminars, or workshops must have attained contact hours to be eligible for consideration. Maximum credit of ten (10) hours. Supporting documentation must be attached 45
Professional Contributions The concept of professionalism is ultimately defined as one s contributions to the profession. 17 categories for submission FPEM submit 7 of which must be attained in Florida FAEM, FEMV, 4 of which must be attained in Florida Professional Contributions must have occurred within the last 10 years and last 5 years for recertification Each category is limited to one contribution credit 46
Professional Contributions Do not duplicate any activities already included in the application (i.e., Disaster or Exercise) Submit more than the minimum contributions Pay close attention to Notes at the top of the Professional Contribution Submittal Form You are required to complete the Professional Contributions Checklist Documentation must be submitted to clearly support your claim of the activity Documentation is key for a successful submission! 47
Professional Contributions Refer to page 23 in the application Discussion Applicants are required to complete this checklist. Contributions submitted for credit must include the date(s) and be verified by adequate documentation Pay close attention to NOTES that may be at the top of the Contribution Submittal Form. This will indicate what is being focused on by the reviewing Certification Commissioners. Documentation must be submitted to clearly support your claim of the activity. Commissioners do not contact the provided reference unless there is a question on the activity or documentation submitted. 48
Professional Contributions 1. Disaster Experience 2. Technical 3. Professional Membership 4. Leadership and Participation 5. Speaking 6. Teaching and Instructing 7. Publications 8. Audio-Visual and Interactive 9. Awards or Special Recognition 10. Coordination / Cooperation 11. Special Assignment 12. Special Service 13. Professional Development 14. Mitigation Activity 15. Legislative Activity Contact 16. Advanced Professional Series (APS) Certificate 17. Master Instructor 49
Did you Complete the application on computer? Complete a spell and grammar check? Organizational your application package? Pay attention to time and duplication limits? Use a Certification Commissioner as a mentor? Remember to sign the application? Pay your application submission fee? Pay your FEPA dues? Did you document, document and document? 50
What if I didn t pass? Applications reviewed by least two Commissioners Applicants that are denied will be notified by the Certification Chair in writing The Chair the will transmit a letter of denial and corrective action matrix to applicant Applicant is assigned a commissioner as a mentor to assist them in correcting deficiencies Applicants must be re-submitted within one year Help us help you! 51
On the Horizon New certification concentration In response to rule/standards developments List of Approved Training (always check) Contributions Potentially adding more types of allowable contributions EMI Master Exercise Practitioner MEP EMI National Emergency Management Academies Adding clarifying language to existing categories 52
Application Deadline A new FEPA Certification Application (6-1-2014) and FEPA Recertification Application (6-1-2014) go into effect on June 1, 2014. Any outdated applications received after June 1, 2014 will be rejected and returned to the applicant, no exceptions. Class of 2015 application deadline has changed to November 1, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST for electronic submission. 53
Mentoring Applicants are encouraged to work with a certification mentor before submitting an application package to ensure consistency and accuracy Discontinued post submission handholding by Commissioners during the review process List of current Certification Commissioners is maintained on the FEPA website 54
Application Submission Electronic certification applications can be uploaded to the FEPA website throughout the year. Class of 2015 deadline is November 1 st, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST stamp on electronic submission. Paper applications will not be accepted. All electronic applications will be purged/deleted from the FEPA system following the Annual Awards Ceremony. 55
So let s wrap this up FEPA Certification Commissioners WANT you to be successful! We re here to help you succeed Having certified members improves our organization as a whole Strengthens our professional networks For help, contact Certification Commission Chair Lee Newsome lee.newsome@att.net or FEPA Executive Director Eve Rainey erainey@fepa.org 56
Thanks! www.fepa.org (850) 274-1835 57