CESA Emergency Management Certification

Certification Overview

Certification as a California Emergency Manager (CA-EM) or California Professional Emergency Manager (CA-PEM) demonstrates your knowledge, skills, and abilities as an Emergency Management professional. Certification grants you a competitive edge in the employment marketplace and makes you stand out amongst a competitive pool of candidates. Furthermore, the California centric certification demonstrates your command of laws, standards, and practices that are unique within the state.

Certifications are granted to individuals who meet all the requirements of the program and are valid for 5 years before recertification.

Apply today!

Levels of Certification

California Emergency Manager (CA-EM)

For professionals in the early stages of their career, the CA-EM certification is for individuals with some work experience, training, and personal/professional development within the field.

  • Work Experience: 1 year full time experience with a degree/2 years without a degree
  • Exercise/Activation: Experience in two functional or one full-scale exercise -or- one real-world activation
  • Training: Baseline training + 100 elective hours of training
  • Personal and Professional Development Areas (PPDA): 3 PPDAs – at least one of the PPDAs must be attributed to activity within California
  • Successfully pass a 100 question written exam

 

California Professional Emergency Manager (CA-PEM):

For established professionals with work experience, training, and personal/professional development within the field.

  • Work Experience: 4 years full time experience with a degree/6 years without a degree
  • Exercise/Activation: Experience in two functional or one full-scale exercise -or- one real-world activation
  • Training: Baseline training + 100 elective hours of training
  • Personal and Professional Development Areas: 6 PPDAs – at least 2 of the PPDAs must be attributed to activity within California
  • Successfully pass a 100 question written exam

Please see the program overview or certification manual for full program requirements.

IAEM AEM® and CEM®

CESA has a cross over certification process for individuals already certified as an IAEM AEM® or CEM®. CESA has a streamlined process for applicants to cross over and receive the CA-EM or CA-PEM certification. The following evidence will be required to cross over to the CA-EM or CA-PEM certification:

AEM® to CA-EM:

  • Evidence of current AEM® status
  • Documentation of work experience
  • Evidence of exercise or real-world activation
  • SEMS G606 Training
  • 3 Personal and Professional Development Activities – at least one of the PPDAs must be attributed to activity within California

CEM® to CA-PEM:

  • Evidence of current CEM® status
  • Documentation of work experience
  • Evidence of exercise or real-world activation
  • SEMS G606 Training
  • 2 Personal and Professional Development Activities – both of the PPDAs must be attributed to activity within California

Please see the program overview or certification manual for full program requirements.

Getting Started

In order to get started in the certification process, it is important that you review the program requirements and applicable evidence. It is recommended that you carefully review the certification manual before beginning the process. CESA also recommends gathering all your evidence first, then starting the application. 

To get started, please complete the certification registration and start the application process in Certemy.

$450 - NonMembers
$250 - CESA Members (join CESA) 

Help

Need help? We're here to get you through the process. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

Ready to take the exam?

Upcoming locations: TBD

  • If you are registering for a morning PreCon and the exam in the afternoon, select the exam as one of your precon selections.
  • If you are registering for the full conference and only for the exam on Monday, select the Exam in the Add On section.
  • If you are only registering for the exam, and not attending the conference at all, choose the exam in the Single-Day Option.

Program Resources 

 

 

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