Skip to main content
Loading Loading
LEPALouisiana Emergency Preparedness Association
  • Create Account
  • Join Now
  • Cart
Facebook
Sign In

LEM Certification Program

LEM Application Portal

The Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association (LEPA) created this certification program for emergency managers to raise and maintain professional standards; it is a program to certify achievements within the profession. Any emergency management professional who meets requirements is welcome to participate.

Program Process

To register for certification consideration, candidates must enroll online at www.lepa .com to receive access to the electronic application portal at no charge. Completed applications along with the appropriate fee are accepted at any time during the year. The Certification committee periodically evaluates submissions. Specific meeting dates are posted online. Candidates must also take a multiple-choice examination and pass by 75% in order to receive the LEM Pro or LEM Basic certification.

Levels of Certification

There are three types of certification offered:

  1. Louisiana Emergency Manager Professional (LEM-P)
  2. Louisiana Emergency Manager Basic (LEM-B)
  3. Louisiana Emergency Manager Technical (LEM – T)

Certification Maintenance

LEM-P maintain certification every five years by documenting continuing education/training and professional contributions.

After 5 years, the LEM B will expire and anyone wishing to recertify will do so as an LEM Pro. Within 5 years of serving as an emergency manager in Louisiana, all LEM-B candidates should qualify to upgrade their certification to the LEM Pro designation.

Currently the LEM-T does not expire and does not require recertification.

Costs of Certification

LEM - P - $275 ($200 for LEPA members) Non-Refundable Application Fee. Check, money order

LEM - B - LEPA members: $100. Non-LEPA members: $175

LEM – T - LEPA members: $50. Non-LEPA members: $75

LEM Pro Requirements

Emergency Management Experience

To satisfy this requirement a candidate must demonstrate at least two years experience in a comprehensive disaster/emergency management position AND participation in a full scale exercise by (1) planning, (2) conducting or coordinating, and/or (3) having a major disaster/emergency management role during the exercise, OR experience in the preparation, response, recovery and mitigation phases of an actual disaster.

References

Must provide names, phone number and email addresses of at least three reference including the candidate’s current supervisor.

Education

Each candidate must possess at a minimum a GED, high school diploma, or 15 semester hours of college credit. The candidate must attach a diploma copy or an official transcript with the candidate's name. If the name has changed because of marital status or other reason, an explanation must also be included. College transcripts will suffice to validate education credentials

Training

Submissions must be within the last 10 years (except for ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700 and 800 and the FEMA Professional Development Series (PDS). 200 contact hours are required; 100 each in emergency management and general management. Emergency management training is considered specific to the profession and must include ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700 and 800 and the FEMA Professional Development Series (PDS). The general management includes content that can be applied beyond emergency management.

Note: no more than 25% of hours can be in any single topic.

Management Essay

Candidates must demonstrate knowledge, skills and abilities through this written submission, as specified in the instructions included in the application.

Multiple-Choice Examination

Candidates must pass by 75% an examination in order to receive the LEM – P.

Contributions to the Profession

Submissions must be within the last 10 years. Note: *indicates activity must be performed beyond the scope of candidate’s job requirements. Six separate contributions are required in areas such as professional membership, conference attendance, service role, leadership role*, special assignment, speaking, teaching, course development, publication, audio-visual and interactive products, awards or special recognition, professional certification related to emergency management, or legislative contact. See the application for more details on each area.

  1. MEMBERSHIP: Member for 3 years in a disaster/emergency management-related organization.
  2. PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE: Participation in a disaster/emergency management related workshop/ conference.
  3. SERVICE ROLE: Voluntarily serve on a board of directors, committee, task force or special project for a professional, or jurisdictional organization contributing to or supporting emergency management (must not be part of the applicant’s required job duties). LEPC service does not qualify.
  4. LEADERSHIP ROLE: Voluntarily serve as an elected officer or in leadership position on a board of directors, a board committee, a task force, or a special project for a professional, emergency management or a jurisdictional organization contributing to or supporting disaster/emergency management (must not be part of the applicant’s required job duties). LEPC service does not qualify.
  5. SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT: Involvement in a special assignment for a jurisdictional or governmental committee or task force addressing disaster/emergency management issue. The resulting product or decisions must make a significant contribution to or impact on the disaster/emergency management profession.
  6. SPEAKING: Develop and participate in 3 presentations or panels of a minimum of 20 minutes each (including radio, television, educational, video, etc.) during the last 10 years related to disaster/emergency management. The audience may be community or a professional group. Candidate must be the presenter and not just the author of the presentation.
  7. TEACHING: Complete a formal teaching or instructing commitment relating to disaster/emergency management which equals or exceeds 3 hours of actual platform instruction.
  8. COURSE DEVELOPMENT: Play a significant role in the development or extensive revision of an educational emergency management course of at least three hours in length.
  9. PUBLICATIONS: Publish a substantive disaster/emergency management article, research project, or other publication relating to the emergency management field. The article/publication must have an independent editorial review and be published in a document beyond the candidate’s control (i.e. staff documents and internal reports do not qualify). Candidate must validate primary or secondary authorship. Publication in online periodicals qualifies (peer review publications and about emergency management). A copy of the publication must be printed and inserted as documentation along with any explanatory details about the publisher, circulation, audience, etc.
  10. AUDIO-VISUAL AND INTERACTIVE PRODUCTS: Personally develop content for distributed emergency management video, computer software product or other audio-visual tool. Candidate must validate participation and significant development role.
  11. AWARDS OR SPECIAL RECOGNITION: Receive an award for disaster/emergency management-related activities.
  12. STATE OR PROVINCE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION OR REGISTRATION: Earned certification or registration as an emergency manager through a government agency, or states association (receiving a FEMA PDS Certification does not qualify under this category).
  13. LEGISLATIVE CONTACT: Contact an elected representative at the national or state level regarding an emergency management issues. The candidate must submit a copy of his/her original correspondence and a copy the reply from the elected official.
  14. CONDUCTING RESEARCH: Play a significant role in the development and execution of an emergency management research project. For example: producing professor supervised graduate-level research for graduate thesis or dissertation, developing a project under the Natural Hazards Centers' Quick Response program, publishing research that updates previous research projects with new data, producing independent analysis for government or non-government interest groups, or research related to expert testimony before relevant government bodies with subpoena authority (state legislatures, some city councils). Producing after action reviews, local hazards analyses, and regular school reports and papers do not qualify under this contribution. Being an interview subject for a research project does not qualify either. Candidate must validate role and provide a copy of final research.
  15. OTHER: Other contributions may be recognized by request to and approval of the Certification Commission. An example is volunteering to go on a disaster assignment not in your jurisdiction.

LEM –B Requirements

Emergency Management Experience

To satisfy this requirement a candidate must demonstrate at least two years experience in a comprehensive disaster/emergency management position AND participation in a full scale exercise by (1) planning, (2) conducting or coordinating, and/or (3) having a major disaster/emergency management role during the exercise, OR experience in the preparation, response, recovery and mitigation phases of an actual disaster.

Education

Each candidate must possess at a minimum a GED, high school diploma, or 15 semester hours of college credit. The candidate must attach a diploma copy or an official transcript with the candidate's name. If the name has changed because of marital status or other reason, an explanation must also be included. College transcripts will suffice to validate education credentials

Training

Submissions must be within the last 10 years (except for ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700 and 800 and the FEMA Professional Development Series (PDS). 200 contact hours are required; 100 each in emergency management and general management. Emergency management training is considered specific to the profession and must include ICS 100, 200, 700 and 800 and the FEMA Professional Development Series (PDS). The general management includes content that can be applied beyond emergency management.

Note: no more than 25% of hours can be in any single topic.

Multiple-Choice Examination

Candidates must pass by 75% an examination in order to receive the LEM – B.


LEM – T Requirements

The Louisiana Emergency Manger Technical (LEM-T) credential was designed by LEPA to provide credentials to emergency management professionals who are not seeking credentials of an LEM-B or LEM-P. LEPA recognizes and awards the LEM-T credential to personnel proving mastery in the occupational fields illustrated within the National Response Framework. These fields are listed below:

  1. Transportation: Aviation, maritime, surface, railroad, and pipeline transportation.
  2. Communications: Tactical Radio, IT, commercial AM and FM radio, television, and amateur radio.
  3. Public Works and Engineering: Infrastructure restoration, damage assessment, debris removal.
  4. Fire Services: Municipal, industrial and commercial fire fighting.
  5. Emergency Management: EOC Operations and the coordination of emergency response plans at all levels of government.
  6. Mass Care: Sheltering, Emergency Assistance, Housing, and Human Services.
  7. Logistics Management and Resource Support: Equipment, supply and service requirements.
  8. Public Health and Medical Services: Medical care, health surveillance, medical equipment and supplies, patient evacuation.
  9. Search and Rescue: Structural collapse, waterborne, swift water, flood water, land SAR.
  10. HAZMAT: Response to uncontrolled releases of oil or hazardous materials, industrial safety.
  11. Agriculture & Natural Resources: Nutrition assistance, food supply safety, animal control and disease eradication, household pets and veterinary assistance.
  12. Energy and Fuel: Producing, refining, transporting, generating, transmitting, conserving, building, distributing, maintaining, controlling and estimating damage to energy and fuel infrastructure.
  13. Specialized Public Safety and Security: General Law Enforcement, investigations, crisis reaction teams, access control, site security.
  14. Long Term Community Recovery: The coordination of federal, state, and local governments, and the private sector to enable community recovery from the long-term consequences of extraordinary disasters.
  15. External Affairs: Media relations, Joint Information Center Operations, Public Affairs, Congressional Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs.
  16. Critical Infrastructure and Key Resource Protection: Assessing, prioritizing, protecting, and restoring critical infrastructure and key resources.
  17. Financial Management: Comptrollers, FEMA Public Assistance management, Homeland Security, FEMA, Fire Services, DOTD Grants management.
  18. Volunteers and Donations: Management of unaffiliated volunteers and unsolicited donations.

Emergency Management Experience

To satisfy this requirement a candidate must demonstrate at least two years of experience in an emergency support function (ESF) field of study. A position description and supervisor statement will suffice for this validation. More than one occupational field can be certified. Time spent on volunteer/internship duties may also be counted, but applicants must provide documentation of the total time devoted to disaster/emergency management duties.

References

Each LEM Technical candidate must submit the names of three emergency management references, and information on their reference sources as requested below.

Training

Examples training that qualify: EMI courses, state, municipal or other jurisdiction training, seminars sponsored by corporations, appropriate college courses, military training, state, regional and local law enforcement academies, and so forth. This list is NOT inclusive; other training may meet the training requirement.

Note: There is not a minimum training requirement to obtain an LEM-T Credential. The applicant must submit training, licensing or certifications that they consider relevant to the field. The LEM-T ESF Committee will determine qualifications.


Contact Us

8550 United Plaza Blvd, Suite 1001
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

(225) 408-4757

Looking for LEPA Apparel?

Visit the LEPA Store

LEPA Store

© Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##