Overview
Emergency management is a rapidly evolving field. Certification and re-certification makes sure that we keep current on technology, policies, programs, and available resources.
Recent Changes
The directive governing our certification program was updated in June 2022, bringing some changes to the certification and recertification process.
FAQs
Some of the most frequently asked questions about the new directive.
Certifications earned under D2017-02 (or earlier) remain valid for a period of five years from the date of issuance of the new certification directive (so, until July 5, 2027) at the level they were issued (i.e., basic, advanced, or professional). If an individual has already completed all three levels of certification under D2017-02, they would go through recertification at the professional level. Recertification will then be required every five years.
Do these individuals complete the Associate and Professional initial certifications fully, or do they need to complete the Professional certification and then recert Professional going forward?
If an individual completed Basic or Advanced certification (or both) under 2017-02, they would complete the Professional under D2022-02 criteria and would then recertify at the Professional level every five years after that.
For instance, could someone obtain their “Associate” certificate and sit at that level for 5 years and then recertify for that level?
All certifications issued under D2022-02 will now have an expiration date five years after the date of issuance. Recertification is at the highest level the individual attained – so if someone has their Associate certification and has not met the requirements for professional by the time their associate is approaching expiration, they will recertify at the associate level. If they have their Professional, they will recertify at the Professional level.
Keep in mind, however, that appointed coordinators are required to complete both levels of the professional development program as prescribed by Title 35, so the appointed coordinator would need to complete the professional certification no later than three years following their appointment per 7502(e)(2) and would then recertify at that level going forward every five years.
Existing certifications that were issued prior to D2022-02 being issued on July 5, 2022, will be good for a period of five years from the Directive’s issue date (so, until July 5, 2027). Anything issued after July 5, 2022 will be good for five years from the date it was issued, regardless of whether the certification was issued under D2017-02 or D2022-02 and will include the expiration date on it.
