EM Certification Programs

Advanced Professional Series (APS)

Professional Development Series (PDS)

 Advanced Professional Series

Students who complete the five required courses and any five of 16 elective courses are eligible to receive the EMI Advanced Professional Series (APS) Certificate of Completion.  Students who complete any or all of the courses in the original APS can use those for credit.  Upon completion of all training, student must submit a request for their certificate through VDEM.  Copies of all supporting certificates/documentation must accompany the request.  Download the request form.  [91 kb pdf]

 

Required Courses

  • G775 - EOC Management and Operations, or EOC Management and Operations IS775
  • G191 - Incident Command System/Emergency Operations Center Interface, or E947 IEMC EOC/IMT Interface or E/L449 ICS Train the Trainer*
  • G250.7 (G557) - Rapid Assessment Workshop,
  • G270.4 - Recovery from Disaster, the Local Government Role, or E210 Recovery from Disaster, the Local Government Role*
  • G393 - Mitigation for Emergency Managers

Elective Courses (choose any 5)

  • G108 - Community Mass Care Management
  • G110 - Emergency Management Operations Course for Local Governments, or one of the following IEMC courses E900, E905, E910, E915, E920, E930*
  • E/L/G 146 - Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) or E/L/G 147 - Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Train the Trainer
  • G197 – Access and Function Needs
  • G202 - Debris Management, or E202 Debris Management Planning for State, Local and Tribal Officials*
  • G271 - Hazardous Weather and Flood Preparedness, or IS271 - Anticipating Hazardous Weather and Community Risk, (Independent Study)
  • G272 - Warning Coordination
  • G288 - Local Volunteer and Donations Management
  • G290 - Basic Public Information Officers, or E388 Advanced Public Information Officer*
  • G358 - Evacuation and Re-entry Planning
  • G361 - Flood Fight Operations
  • G364 - Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools, or L363 Multi-Hazard Planning for Higher Education*
  • G366 - Planning for the Needs of Children in Disaster
  • G386 - Mass Fatalities
  • (G400 –ICS 400 Advanced ICS – May be used if completed prior to June 30, 2010.)
  • G408 - Homeland Security Planning for Local Governments (formerly Terrorism Planning)
  • IS703 - NIMS Resource Management, (Independent Study)
     

* All substitute E or L courses are subject to the Approval of the VDEM State Training Officer.

Course descriptions, information regarding the original required courses and changes to course electives are available on FEMA's website at http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/APS

Professional Development Series

The Professional Development Series is central to professionalizing the emergency management workforce and developing its core skills.  Those who complete all Professional Development Series courses below are eligible to receive a PDS certificate of completion from FEMA's Emergency Management Institute.  All PDS courses are available as Independent Study online at http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/PDS.

Required Courses

  1. Principles of Emergency Management (IS230)
    Introduces participants to fundamental principles of emergency management in an integrated system. The perspective of the local community, officials and citizens is emphasized within the context of multiple hazards and potential resources from various sources.
  2. Emergency Planning (IS235)
    Develops expertise of community planning teams along the principles offered in the guide for All-Hazard Emergency Operations Planning.
  3. Leadership and Influence (IS240)
    How to assess differences in personal values and interpersonal influence styles, and when to apply situational leadership behaviors in emergency management.
  4. Decision-Making and Problem-Solving (IS241)
    Practice in making individual and group decisions based on a model problem-solving process.
  5. Effective Communications (IS242)
    Skill development in public and interpersonal communication.
  6. Developing Volunteer Resources (IS244)
    Issues in the management of volunteers, including skills, recruitment and motivation.
  7. Exercise Design (IS139)
    Develops skills necessary to produce exercises that can test a community's plan and operational response capability.

When a student has completed all the required courses and passed a written exam with a score of 75 or better, the Independent Study Program Office will automatically send a Certificate of Completion directly to the student.