Vol. 35 No. 5 May 2018

201 Park Washington Court, Falls Church, VA 22046-4527

phone: 703-538-1795 • fax: 703-241-5603 • e-mail: info@iaem.com • website: www.iaem.com

In this issue You Should Run for anIAEM Leadership Position

IAEM-Canada Innovation

& Leadership Conference

June 5-8, 2018

Calgary, Alberta

7th Annual IAEM-USA

Region 3 Symposium

June 27, 2018

Fairfax, Virginia

continued on page 2

Call for Articles:

IAEM Bulletin Special

Focus Issue:

“Cybersecurity”

Deadline: May 21, 2018

Scholarship Application

Period Open ............... 3CEM Corner ................... 5IAEM Awards Program ... 7Seeking Applicants for

IAEM Certification

Commission ............... 8Where Are They Now? .... 9Certification Profile ...... 10

IAEM in Action ..............11

Student Stipend ............. 12

Conference News ..........13

U.S. Government Affairs .14

The Emerging EM

Professional ............. 15

Feature Articles Index

Page 16

EM Calendar/Staff .........31

Certification Listing .......32

New Members ............... 34

By Marty Shaub, CEM, UCEM, IAEM-USA 1st Vice President

Y ou should run for an IAEM

office. Have you thought about

it? YOU.

Regional presidents and the elected

officers make up the IAEM-USA Board of

Directors. An effective board of directors

works together as a unit in carrying out

the duties, roles and responsibilities of

the association. The association’s

documents (strategic plan, bylaws and

administrative policies and procedures)

and some state and federal statutes

define and set forth the duties and roles

of the board. 

I am almost certain you have good

ideas about how to make your associa-

tion – and by virtue of IAEM’s position,

your industry – better. Do you want to

make a difference?

Don’t Wait for a “Better Time”

Many people on the fringes of

engaging think that everyone else is

better positioned to serve or that there

will be a better time to raise their hand.

Don’t wait.

There is no better time to champion

your issues than right now while it’s on

your mind. There is no one else better to

champion the issues you care about than

you. Yep, YOU.

What’s Holding You Back?

Putting yourself out there the first

time can be (and usually is) a little

unnerving. You’re confused, you’re

unsure what to do, and you’re worried

you will make mistakes. 

Guess what? That’s ok. You may make

mistakes. You may even (gasp!) lose. But

in the process, you are doing the right

thing if you’re running for the right

reasons.

Make a Real, Lasting Difference

If you are wanting to improve a

situation that matters, and working hard

for what is right, you are a winner – even

if that’s not what the results say after the

ballots are counted. If you lose, then

maybe, like many losing candidates

before you, you will win on your next try. 

If you win, you’ll have a huge opportunity

to make a real and lasting difference. 

Either way, just by running you’ll be

doing more than 95% of the people in

any given profession do in trying to make

a difference.

Note: Individual members in good

standing are eligible to run for elected

office. Frankly, you’ve paid for that

Please read “The New and Improved IAEM Awards Program,” by Cullen Case Jr., MPA, CEM, and

Rocky Lopes, Ph.D., Chair, IAEM Awards & Recognition Committee, to find out what’s new this year in the

2018 IAEM Awards Competition. Then visit the IAEM website at www.iaem.com/Awards to learn how to enter this

year’s competition. > IAEM Awards Entry Deadline: Friday, June 1, 2018, 5:00 p.m. EDT <

Visit the Conference News page to learn about the Call for Poster Showcase Abstracts.

Deadline for Submissions: May 18, 2018, 5:00 p.m. EDT

2

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

privilege as a dues-paying member,

so go for it!

What Office Are YOU

Running for This Year?

IAEM-USA Regional Presidents

In 2018, members of IAEM-USA

Regions 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 are

electing a regional president.

Duties, Responsibilities

and Helpful Experiences

Regional presidents represent

the association to members who live

in their geographic region, helping

to ascertain what members want

and need from the association. Each

IAEM-USA regional president serves

as a liaison to at least one commit-

tee and caucus. Individual members

in good standing for at least two

years are eligible to serve the

association on the IAEM-USA Board

of Directors as a regional president.

Regional presidents are expected to

participate in monthly board

meetings (web-based) and in-person

meetings (annual conference and a

mid-year retreat); submit a monthly

report of regional activities; and

participate with task force and ad

hoc activities as assigned.

Previous engagement on a board

of directors in a similarly structured

association, or leading an IAEM-USA

standing committee or caucus is

helpful preparatory experience for

these positions.

IAEM-USA Second Vice President

Duties, Responsibilities

and Helpful Experiences

The second vice president will

eventually serve as IAEM-USA

president. During the second vice

president’s term, one’s primary

responsibility is as a liaison to the

committees, caucuses, ad hoc

committees, and commissions –

shepherding the association’s

strategic plan progress.

The year as second vice presi-

dent provides time to work with the

structure and activities of the IAEM-

USA Executive Committee and the

business of the association. IAEM-

USA has a strategic plan, bylaws,

and an administrative policy and

procedures manual to guide opera-

tions, so technically it is difficult to

mess up the legal stuff.

The second vice president

performs the duties of the president

in the absence or disability of the

president and first vice president

You Should Run for an IAEMLeadership Position

continued from page 1

and performs other duties as required by the IAEM-USA Adminis-

trative Policies and Procedures.

Good people and organizational skills, interest in and a concept of serving the greater good, being flexible and ready to pitch in in whatever capacity that can contrib-

ute to keeping things operating smoothly are helpful skill sets for this engagement. Previous service as a regional president or in a similarly structured organization (like a state association as president) are helpful preparatory experience for this position.

IAEM-USA Secretary

Duties, Responsibilities

and Helpful Experiences

The IAEM-USA secretary is responsible for ensuring that the documents of the association

(meeting minutes, etc.) are main-

tained. Additionally, the secretary is frequently tasked with providing support to the board through special projects. Good people and organiza-

tional skills, interest in and a concept of serving the greater good, being flexible and ready to pitch-in in whatever capacity that can contrib-

ute to keeping things operating smoothly are helpful skill sets for this engagement.

The Officer Election Process

The officer election process is explained in the IAEM Administra-

tive Policies and Procedures, beginning on page 42. If you know someone who would be good in any of these positions, please pass this information on to them. p

IAEM-USA 2018 ElectionsWatch for call for nominations emails from IAEM Headquarters on

Friday, June 1, 2018. IAEM-USA members will receive the call for nomina-

tions for IAEM-USA officers. Those who reside in IAEM-USA Regions 2, 4,

6, 8, and 10 also will receive a call for nominations email for their region.

3

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

T he IAEM Scholarship

Program opened the

application period for

2018-2019 scholarships on Apr. 23,

2018. The application period will

close on June 12, 2018, 5:00 p.m.

EDT. Applications are available at

www.iaem.com/scholarships.

The IAEM Scholarship Program

supports the future of emergency

management by providing scholar-

ships through a competitive process

to full-time undergraduate and full-

and part-time graduate students

working toward degrees in emer-

gency management, disaster

management or a closely related

field of study. Since 2001, the

program has provided $98,500 in

scholarships to 56 students.

Part-time GraduateStudent Application

In 2017, the Scholarship Commis-

sion for the first-time reviewed

scholarship applications from part-

time graduate students who are also

IAEM Scholarship Application Period OpensFull-time Undergrad and Full- and Part-time Grad Students are Encouraged to Apply

By Dawn M. Shiley, CAE, IAEM Scholarship Program Director

actively involved in emergency

management through employment

or volunteer activities. The 2017

part-time graduate student applica-

tion period was conducted after the

regular application period and was

announced as a one-time test

program.

Based on the applications

received in 2017, the Scholarship

Commission concluded that the part-

time graduate application program

should continue. This year, part-time

graduate student applications will

be accepted during the same

application period as full-time

students, so all materials for this

category also must be received by

June 12, 2018, 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Application Tools

Submitting an incomplete

application is the most common

mistake noted by the IAEM Scholar-

ship Commission. An incomplete

application is automatically invalid.

To avoid this mistake, the commis-

sion created checklists for each

application type. Students are

encouraged to download and fully

read the application instructions to

determine the application appropri-

ate for them. Be sure to download

and use the checklist for the applica-

tion to ensure the application will be

eligible to be reviewed.

Questions about the program or

the application may be directed to

IAEM Scholarship Program Director

Dawn M. Shiley at shiley@iaem.com

or 703-538-3542. p

Save the Date...

7th Annual IAEM-USA

Region 3 Symposium

June 27, 2018

8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. EDT

Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center

Fairfax, Virginia

Event Site: iaem.com/2018R3

Plan now to attend!

Subscribe to the IAEM-USA

Government Affairs Update

IAEM members can subscribe to a free, added member service and receive periodic email updates from IAEM-USA Government Affairs Director Thad Huguley, focusing on legislative and regulatory news impacting the emergency management profession.

Log into your IAEM member profile, scroll to the bottom of the page, and check the box next to “Subscribe to IAEM-USA Government Affairs Update.”

Alternately, you can access past issues in the Update Archives online. p

4

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

The 2018 IAEM-Canada EM Leadership & InnovationConference begins on June 5 in Calgary – don’t miss out!

Registration is now live for the IAEM-Canada

2018 Emergency Management Leadership &

Innovation Conference, set for June 5-8, 2018,

at Cenovus Energy’s The Bow, in Calgary, Alberta.

This inaugural IAEM-Canada event will bring together

leaders in emergency management to share the latest in

technologies being used, and lessons learned around the

world, to prepare for, respond to and recover from

disasters.

Visit the IAEM-Canada event site for details, including

the program and the speakers. This is a training and

networking opportunity that you don’t want to miss.

Register Today

Register early and receive an early bird discount.

Fees increase on May 25, 2018. IAEM members also

receive an additional discount. All conference registra-

tion types include breaks, lunch, and sessions for the day

registered.

Download Accommodations Map 

(area hotels and distance from The Bow)

View complete hotel information and rates online

See complete conference details at

iaem.com/Canada2018

5

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

By Daryl Lee Spiewak, CEM, TEM, MEP, Lead Trainer for the CEM® Commission,

and Chair, IAEM-Global Communications Work Group

How to Avoid AEM®/CEM® ApplicationResubmissions (Part 1, Documentation)

CEM® Corner

continued on page 6

L ast month we began new

discussions on resubmissions

with a focus on the essay

for the CEM®/AEM® application. It

was noted that the essay is one

common area often requiring

resubmissions. This month I will

continue our discussion on

resubmissions with a focus on

documentation.

Documentation is the second

biggest area often requiring a

resubmission. This is due to a variety

of reasons, such as missing docu-

mentation, non-letterhead refer-

ence letter(s), documentation that

does not validate the claim being

made, and documentation that is

difficult to read or understand.

Missing Documentation

One area where the Commission-

ers often see missing documentation

is in the Work History and Experi-

ence section. In the Work History

section, candidates are to upload

copies of their current job descrip-

tions and a supervisor’s statement.

The application states a “candidate

must submit a copy of his/her

current position description.” If the

candidate is seeking credit for a

previous job, then he or she should

submit a copy of that job description

along with the dates of employ-

ment.

If a job description is not avail-

able, “the candidate should attach a

signed letter/statement from the

current (or past) supervisor that (1)

states that a position description

does not exist, has been changed, or

is unavailable, and (2) outlines (a)

the disaster/emergency manage-

ment functions performed by the

candidate, (b) the dates of this

service, and (c) the approximate

amount of time spent in disaster/

emergency management duties.”

Commissioners use these docu-

ments to verify the candidate

completed a minimum of three

years full-time work in comprehen-

sive and integrated emergency

management duties. If the candi-

date has a degree in emergency or

disaster-related management, then

only two years need to be docu-

mented. Without these two docu-

ments, the Commissioners cannot

validate the claims and the candi-

date must resubmit the required

documents within 90 days to receive

the appropriate credit.

Some candidates claim they do

not have formal written job descrip-

tions. This could be due to the

candidate being a business owner or

an independent contractor. In that

case, provide a description of the

duties performed under various

contracts and provide a copy or two

of a Scope of Work. These should

demonstrate work in comprehensive

and integrated emergency manage-

ment. Don’t forget to include the

dates of ownership or employment.

The Commissioners do not need a

complete and signed contract, nor

do we need a list of your clients.

Uniformed services candidates could

provide copies of their officer or

noncommissioned officer annual

evaluation reports highlighting the

emergency management duties.

In the Work Experience section,

candidates are to upload documen-

tation demonstrating participation

in a full-scale exercise or two

separate functional exercises, or

“experience in the preparation,

response, recovery, and mitigation

phases of an actual declared disaster

or major public event such as major

sporting event, state visit or special

event.” Candidates will forget to

upload documentation demonstrat-

ing “the candidate’s experience” in

the exercises or events often citing

the organization’s participation.

Sometimes the candidate will submit

drills or tabletop exercise documen-

tation while claiming credit for a full-

scale or two functional exercises.

Copies of exercise or EOC sign-in

sheets or After Action Review

reports listing the candidate’s name

and position/duties would suffice to

demonstrate personal participation.

A signed letter from the supervisor

or exercise director also would

suffice.

Non-letterhead

Reference Letter(s)

The second area often over-

looked is the reference letters.

Recently, the IAEM-USA Board

reduced the number of signed

reference letters that must be

included in the application. Now a

candidate need submit only one

signed reference letter on official

letterhead paper from the current

supervisor. The Commissioners know

a few organizations do not use

“official letterheads.” If that is the

case, the supervisor should state so

in the letter and include the appro-

priate contact information. If the

6

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

CEM® Corner continued from page 5

supervisor refuses to sign a refer-

ence letter due to official organiza-

tional policy, the candidate should

state this is the case and provide a

signed reference letter on official

letterhead from a second reference

source.

Documentation Does

Not Validate Claim

As mentioned above with the

Work Experience section, candidates

often submit general descriptive

documentation or documentation

discussing something other than the

claim being made. For example, a

candidate might claim two func-

tional exercises, but upload docu-

mentation describing drills, tabletop

exercises, or organizational experi-

ence rather than the candidate’s

personal experience.

Candidates have mistakenly

submitted job descriptions for

positions unrelated to emergency

management. In the Professional

Contributions section, candidates

sometimes submit documentation

under the Professional Membership

category for organizations that are

not emergency or disaster-related

management. The Commissioners

consider the organization’s mission

statement rather than its name to

determine if it meets the specified

criteria for credit.

Under the Professional Confer-

ence category of Professional

Contributions, candidates often will

forget to include documentation

validating a minimum of 40 contact

hours at emergency and/or disaster-

related management conferences.

The Commissioners often will see

30-39 hours properly documented.

Remember, you must demon-

strate the actual hours for the

content being claimed, or the

Commissioners will credit only a

maximum of six hours per full day of

the conference. The mistake here is

that the candidate assumes an eight

contact hour credit per day instead

of the six allowable hours. Commis-

sioners use the published agenda/

schedule to count the contact hours

for general and breakout sessions

and meals with a speaker. Other

conference time is not counted.

Under the Course Development

category of Professional Contribu-

tions, candidates often will submit a

PowerPoint slide deck as validation

of a course he or she developed. The

application specifically states that a

copy of “PowerPoint slides does not

demonstrate a candidate’s role in

developing or revising a course of

instruction.” The application does

say to upload a copy of the lesson

plan or other documents validating

the candidate’s role in developing

the course.

Documentation Is

Difficult to Read

If the documentation is large,

include only the necessary sections

that will demonstrate your claim to

the Commissioners reviewing it.

Highlight the appropriate sections or

tell the Commissioners on which

page they can find the required

information in your narrative. Do

not include unnecessary documenta-

tion as it wastes the Commissioners’

limited time available for your

review.

When scanning your documents

for uploading to the application,

ensure that the final copy is read-

able and clear. If necessary, rotate

the file and resave it so that it reads

upright.

For documentation that contains

“buzz words” or terms specific to

your niche in emergency or disaster-

related management, provide

explanations so the reviewing

Commissioners can better under-

stand what you are presenting. This

saves review time and makes the

reviews more accurate. Don’t

receive a resubmission letter

because the Commissioners could

not understand what your documen-

tation was telling them.

Final Words

Do a final review of your applica-

tion and all of its associated docu-

mentation before submission. Check

to ensure that the documentation

you upload is complete, accurate,

and validates the claims being

made. It is your responsibility to

ensure that your application is

correct and complete. Don’t expect

the Commissioners to do your work

for you.

This is your professional certifica-

tion application. Make sure that

your application reflects your

professional status. Then you should

be recommended for certification by

the Certification Commission the

first time rather than receiving a

resubmission letter due to poor or

missing documentation.

Next Month

Next month I will discuss the

training requirements and associ-

ated documentation errors that

result in resubmission letters to

candidates. As usual, please send

any questions you have about the

examination or the certification

process to me at info@iaem.com,

and I will address them in future

articles. p

7

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

T he IAEM Annual Awards

Competition went through

a deep soul-searching

review over the past few months.

The committee wanted to not only

optimize what is in place but also to

establish a solid path for the future.

The outcome, you ask? We

have a newly invigorated awards

competition in which all members

are invited to participate.

How did we do this? We

engaged a group of 16 IAEM

members from across the spectrum

of our association’s membership to

review the past five years of award

submissions, look at multiple other

association awards programs, and

have long discussions about the

current state and future of the

awards program. We believe that

the end results is a simplified

program.

What’s Different This Year?

Simplification

n We eliminated the divisions so

there is only one award for the

Public Awareness and Technology &

Innovation categories.

n We eliminated the “Academic

Recognition Award,” because the

Poster Showcase fulfills the same

area of recognition.

What’s New

We created a new award

category for Emergency Manager of

the Year. We already had several “of

the year” awards, but didn’t have

one overarching award for our

profession. Now we do! This award

is separate and distinctly different

from the Clayton R. Christopher

Memorial Award, as the Emergency

Manager of the Year Award is open

to any emergency management

practitioner at any level (federal,

Announcement from the Ministry of Recognition

The New and Improved IAEM Awards ProgramBy Cullen Case Jr., MPA, CEM, and

Rocky Lopes, Ph.D., Chair, IAEM Awards & Recognition Committee

state, tribal, academic, military, and private).

See the IAEM website for more information, entry guidelines and forms at iaem.com/Awards. We encourage anyone who has done something notable, contributed to the profession of emergency management, and/or developed a program that goes above and beyond to submit an entry for recognition by the IAEM.

Many awards can be self-

nominated. For those who have done great work, but don’t have a co-conspirator to submit the nomination for them, take a look at

the award guidelines. Awards are

not only for those who have been

long-standing IAEM members or for

emergency management agency

heads. Awards have been presented

to people who are new to IAEM and

even new to the profession.

Don’t Delay

The awards entry deadline is

Friday, June 1, 2018, at 5:00 p.m.

EDT – and will not be extended.

Remember the old saying, you

can’t win unless you buy a ticket – in

this case, the ticket to enter is free

as an IAEM membership benefit —

submit an entry today! p

P.S. – Rocky Wants You!We are always in need of members who want to see the amazing work of

the association – join us and serve as an awards judge. Even if you don’t have

time to serve on the overall Awards & Recognition Committee, serving as an

awards judge (during June only) can be a way to work on a short-term project

for the IAEM, our profession, and receive credit toward a CEM® credential.

Judges must be a current IAEM member and not be an award entrant in

the category they are judging. If you are interested in serving as a judge,

please contact Awards & Recognition Committee Chair, Rocky Lopes, at

iaem@rockylopes.com.

8

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

AEM®/CEM® News

T he IAEM Certification Commission is looking for

candidates to fill several commissioner openings

for the Class of 2021, serving from January 1,

2019 to December 31, 2021. The Certification Commis-

sion conducts electronic reviews using the online system.

Responsibilities of Commissioners

Every other month, commissioners are expected to review, on average, 12-20 applications, based on volume, within a 30-day window. Interested applicants must be detail oriented, responsive via email and phone, and plan to devote approximately 30 hours per review month (180 hours yearly) to online reviews. Commissioners also draft notification letters to candidates so commissioners must possess clear, concise writing skills.

The Certification Commission has one or two in-

person meetings per year as well as quarterly conference calls lasting between one to two hours to discuss policy and procedure changes. Occasionally, commissioners may be asked to serve on a short term ad-hoc working group related to a topic of discussion on the Certification Commission. IAEM is prepared to cover the travel costs for the in-person review meetings for commissioners living outside of the DC metro area.

Qualifications of Candidates

There are a limited number of available spaces, but any interested certified U.S. individual is encouraged to apply, as we are looking to identify people who are willing to serve as alternates to represent each emer-

gency manager category should seats become available mid-term. See the chart of commissioner categories.

Commissioners must be full-time working emergency management practitioners, current CEM®s, and success-

fully recertified at least once, with a demonstrated knowledge of emergency management, desire to serve, ability to work without bias and maintain confidentiality as well as the credibility of the AEM®/CEM® credential.

Applicants should ensure they have access to a computer without security limitations to access zip, pdf, msg, jpeg, gif, mov, Powerpoint, and Word files. Access to Microsoft Publisher is a benefit. Users should be using the current version of any of the major browsers (latest Firefox, Chrome, Safari or Internet Explorer). Interested individuals should identify themselves as being computer

savvy and have a willingness to learn how to use the

online application portal. 

What Makes a Strong Application

Strong applications will provide examples to demon-

strate the following desired criteria:

n Articulates how own experience in emergency

management translates into being a good Commissioner.

n Ability to meet time commitment required by the

Commission.

n Ability to work in an unbiased and confidential

manner.

n Demonstrated commitment to promoting the

IAEM Certification Program.

n Experience using digital/online tools.

n Ability to work as a member of a team.

n Clear, concise writing skills and attention to detail.

How to Become a Candidate

Candidates interested in serving on the Certification

Commission should submit the following information to

IAEM Program Manager Kate McClimans at

KMcClimans@iaem.com by June 1, 2018:

n Letter of intent – expressing desire to serve as acommissioner as well as willingness to devote the

necessary time to participate in online reviews and

commission meetings.

n Personal Commissioner Qualities – a shortnarrative (maximum of two pages) describing the

qualities the applicant will bring to the commission.

Include the date of CEM initial certification and

recertification(s).

n Qualification(s) to Serve – up to a one-pagedescription of the qualifications for the category(ies) of

participation to be considered as described in the chart

of CEM Commissioner categories. Application must

clearly indicate which category the candidate’s current

employment represents.

n Current resume.

n One letter of reference from current supervisor –

to verify and support Commissioner criteria as well as to

show support for the time commitment.

Call for Certification Commission Candidates

Application Deadline: June 1, 2018

continued on page 9

9

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

n One letter of reference from a current CEM® – to

illustrate professionalism as an emergency manager and

commitment to the IAEM certification program. Addi-

tional letters of support may be submitted to help

highlight candidate’s attributes. (Note: If a candidate’s

supervisor is also a CEM®, only one letter is required as

long as the reference is able to address both bullet

points.

Incomplete or Late Applications

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Upon

receipt, a candidate will receive confirmation that

information was received by IAEM HQ. Late submissions

may be held over for the following year. Candidates will

be notified of the results this fall. p

Editor’s Note: 2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the

IAEM Certification Program. Each month this year, one

individual from the original certification class of 1993

who has maintained the CEM for 25 years will be high-

lighted.

Rosemarie Chisholm-Cohen, CEM

Beachwood, New Jersey

Retired as deputy emergency management coordinator,

Ocean County (New Jersey) Sheriff’s Department

Years in emergency management:

39 years

Job responsibilities:

As the deputy emergency management coordinator for

Ocean County, New Jersey, I assisted and supported

emergency response in 33 municipalities which were

challenged with coastal storms and forest fires.

Best part of my job:

The satisfaction in knowing that I had a role in saving

lives and preserving properties.

Why is your certification important to you?

It is a measurement of accomplishment within the

profession. I was so proud to be a member of the

development committee for the CEM® credential. It is

one of my proudest accomplishments – seeing this

certification come to fruition.

Call for Certification Commission Candidates continued from page 8

Last country I visited:

Great Britain

Most exciting thing I’ve ever done:

I served as President of NCCEM (now IAEM) in 1993-

1994.

The hardest thing I’ve ever done:

Without a doubt, the most difficult thing I have ever

done was to retire from a job that I loved for health

reasons. p

Rosemarie Chisholm-Cohen, CEM

Where Are They Now?

Rosemarie Chisholm-Cohen, with her husband

A Reason to Celebrate

2018 marks the 25th anniversary of

the IAEM Certification Program –

and we’re celebrating all year long!

Anniversary news and updates will be posted

on the IAEM website and IAEM social media

accounts throughout the year.

10

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

Editor’s Note: IAEM launched the

IAEM Certification Profile Series as a

way to highlight AEM®s and CEM®s

across the world. Each month we

will spotlight another emergency

manager.

IAEM Certification Profile

Andrea Davis, CEM

Andrea Davis, CEM

Director, Global Crisis Management

and Business Continuity

The Walt Disney Company

Burbank, California

Years in emergency management:

18 years

Job responsibilities:

Oversee an enterprise-wide depart-

ment that is responsible for all-

hazards crisis planning and testing

for Disney and its affiliates (ESPN,

ABC, Parks, etc.) worldwide.

Describe the culture at your job:

Fun!

Original certification date:

Oct. 9, 2014

Why is your IAEM certification

important to you?

The network and creditability that a

CEM® designation provides is

amazing. Every job that I have had

in emergency management has

come from the IAEM Jobs Board!

How do you promote the IAEM

certification program?

Anytime I am at a speaking engage-

ment, I talk about the value of IAEM

and having a CEM®. I have made

having a CEM® a requirement to be

hired on my team.

How has the certification

advanced your career?

I don't believe I would be an execu-

tive at a Fortune 50 company

without it.

Last country I visited:

Cuba.

Last time I was nervous:

Briefing Fox11 News.

Most exciting thing I’ve ever done:

Seeing ACDC live in Dublin,

Ireland. p

Connect through the IAEM Jobs Board!

The IAEM Jobs Board is the place for emergency management job seekers

and employers to connect.

And it’s absolutely free to the public, courtesy of IAEM!

www.iaem.com/Jobs

Learn about the CEM® Program

and apply to be a

Certified Emergency Manager

or Associate Emergency Manager

candidate at:

www.iaem.com/CEM

Don’t Miss the Final

Offering in the 2018 IAEM Certification Webinar Series

Professional Contributions

June 13, 2018

1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT

register online

The IAEM Certification Webinar Series is a free program to assist candidates in obtaining their certification with IAEM. With premises rooted in the elements of a successful certification application and succinctly proving the meeting of the criteria, this series of short, valuable experiences demonstrates to candidates that certification is attainable.

Did you miss any of the previous webinars? Recordings of both the 2017 and 2018 series are available online. p

11

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

IAEM in Action

IAEM CEO Beth Armstrong (right) with New Jersey

Emergency Preparedness Association President Bill

Stevenson, at the 20th Annual NJEPA Conference, held in

Atlantic City, New Jersey, May 2, 2018.

From left: IAEM-USA Region 7 President Dan Robeson,

CEM; FEMA Region 7 Administrator Paul Taylor; and

MOEMA President Chet Hunter at the IAEM-USA Region

7 booth, 2018 Missouri Emergency Management

Association Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, on Apr. 18,

2018.

IAEM representatives to EMAP Commission met on Apr.

19-20, 2018, in Newport, Rhode Island. IAEM

Commissioners include Robie Robinson, CEM, Barb Graff,

CEM, Nick Crossley, CEM, Geoff Bartlett, AEM, and Judd

Freed, CEM.

IAEM-USA Region 5 Vice President and Government

Affairs Vice Chair Brad H. Gilbert (right) with FEMA

Region 5 Administrator Jamie K. Joseph (left).

Administrator Joseph spoke at the Ohio Emergency

Management Spring Conference, after which Gilbert

and Joseph met to discuss issues related to FEMA and

local EM programs.

RI EM Director Pete Gaynor presented

EMAP Executive Director Nicole Ishmael

a Certificate of Special Recognition for 15

years of service, signed by RI Governor

Gina Giamondo on April 17, at EMAP’s

ProWeek in Newport.

12

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

IAEM Headquarters is maintaining a list of IAEM

members who have a current student membership

and wish to be considered for a student registra-

tion fee stipend in the amount of $310 (early bird conference rate). The stipend can be used toward either the registration fee or to help support travel expenses to attend the IAEM 2018 Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Be Considered for Stipend Lottery

Students should email their interest to be considered for the registration fee stipend lottery to IAEM Member-

ship Manager Sharon Kelly, info@iaem.com, no later than Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, along with the following information:

n your name;

n your complete contact information; and

n the university you are attending.

Your Responsibilities if Selected for a Stipend

Notifications will be sent via email by Aug. 27, 2018.

If you are selected, in order to claim the stipend, you will

be required to do the following: 

1. Complete an online registration form and obtain a

registration number no later than Sept. 14, 2018. In the

payment section, please select “pay by check” and then

complete the registration process. If selected, the funds

will be posted to your registration once the conference

has concluded. You can pay for any additional registra-

tion fees once the payment has been posted to your

record. You will receive an email letting you know how much you owe if you have a remaining balance due.

2. Notify IAEM Headquarters by email that you will accept the stipend by Sept. 17, 2018. Your acceptance must include your conference registration number and proof of registration for the Fall 2018 semester (or equivalent) at your university. This can be a copy of your class schedule, university proof of enrollment, etc.

3. Participate in a group picture during the Annual

Conference (date, time and location to be determined). At that time, you will receive from IAEM HQ a reimburse-

ment form to complete and return to IAEM staff for processing.

4. Attend the Student Council Meeting at the Annual Conference (see conference program for details).

Commit to Work as Conference Staff

for Registration Fee Discounts

Reminder:  IAEM student members can sign up as conference staff during the online registration process to help work off/reduce your registration fee. This is a great opportunity to get involved and support the overall mission of the conference, all while networking with other emergency management professionals. Confer-

ence staff will receive a $25 registration fee discount for each hour worked. You will not be compensated for any hours worked that exceed the value of the registration fee, nor will you be compensated if you are unable to work the hours assigned to you. p

IAEM Student Member Conference Registration Fee Stipend

IAEM Student News

If you’re not involved in an IAEM committee, you’re missing out!Go online to see a complete list of IAEM-USA Committees and Caucuses and IAEM-Canada Committees with links to each committee’s web page. Peruse committee pages to find your area(s) of interest. Then contact the chair, and volunteer to participate.

Visit the IAEM conference site to

get the latest details about plenary speakers, special events, breakout sessions,

and networking opportunities.

Program content, logistics, hotel rates, all you need to know at: iaemconference.info

13

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

IAEM Annual Conference News

Final Days to Enter the

IAEM Poster Showcase

Deadline: May 18, 2018, 5:00 p.m. EDT

The Poster Showcase is open to individuals to share

their knowledge or findings obtained through experience

or research. Last year’s expansion of the Poster Show-

case made this event larger than it has ever been before.

Don’t miss out on the last speaking opportunity

available at the IAEM 66th Annual Conference & EMEX in

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Participants who are chosen to

display their posters will receive certificates of participa-

tion that document credit toward the IAEM Certification

Program under Professional Contribution Category F,

Speaking.

Participants can choose one of two divisions:

n Competitive Division

a. Choose a category – practitioner, academic or

student (undergraduate or graduate).

b. Present your poster to a group of evaluators to

qualify for gold, silver or bronze recognition from

IAEM.

n Non-Competitive Division

a. There are no categories in the Non-Competitive

Division. Participants share their research or

practice with others at the conference.

Please Note:

n All participants will receive a certificate of partici-

pation documenting credit towards the IAEM Certifica-

tion Program under Professional Contribution Category F, Speaking.

n The Poster Showcase is open to individuals (and not organizations) to share their work.

n All requirements are found at Poster Showcase Guidance.

Watch the webinar recording and read the Poster Showcase Guidance to learn all tips, requirements and most importantly how to enter and earn gold, silver or bronze recognition from IAEM.

n Abstract entry into the Poster Showcase must be submitted via email attachment in Word format, using subject line “IAEM-USA Poster Showcase Abstract,” to Julie Husk at jhusk@iaem.com by Friday, May 18, 2018, 5:00 p.m. EDT. More information can be found onl

n Deadline: May 18, 2018, 5:00 p.m. EDT.

n Visit the conference website for more information. p

Plenary Speaker: Frank DeAngelis,

Retired Columbine High School Principal

IAEM Annual Conference Oct. 24 plenary session

speaker Frank DeAngelis, retired Columbine High School

principal who served the school for 35 years, was there

during the mass shooting tragedy that redefined the

nation. Frank tells a story about the events through the

aftermath. His presentation reveals the leadership

lessons learned from Columbine in the focus of an

international firestorm. Frank’s honest, straightforward

account provides invaluable insights into managing the

after-crisis with students, staff members, community

members, and never-ending media attention. He shares

how he was able to build a community that worked

together for his kids – the students at Columbine High

School. The take-aways from this presentation should be

required reading for every U.S. leader.

Frank is a Colorado native with a master’s degree in

secondary education and social studies from University of

Colorado. He has been involved in

numerous professional activities and

associations, and has received

multiple awards for his teaching,

leadership and coaching skills. He

also has been called upon to speak

about recovery after a school

tragedy at a variety of conferences,

and has assisted as a consultant

after a number of other violent school events. He was

selected as Colorado High School Principal of the Year

and was one of three finalists for National Principal of the

Year. He received the Jefferson Country Lifetime Achieve-

ment Award and the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community

Builders Award. Since retiring in 2014, he has worked as

a consultant for safety and emergency management for

the Jeffco School District and continues to accept

speaking engagements in the United States, Canada, and

Europe. p

14

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

President’s Proposed FY 2019 Budget forU.S. Emergency Management Programs

By Thad Huguley, IAEM-USA Government Affairs Director

U.S. Government Affairs

E ven though the President

submitted his proposed

Fiscal Year (FY) 2019

federal budget on Feb. 12, 2018,

Congress did not begin consideration

of this budget request until recently.

That is because at the time of the

President’s budget submission, the

President and Congress had only a

few days earlier reached agreement

on a two-year top-line budget deal

covering FY 2018 and FY 2019.

For the next six weeks, all

attention was focused on finalizing

the details of the appropriations

package that would fund all federal

government agencies and programs

for FY 2018. Action on FY 2018

appropriations was finally completed

on Mar. 23, 2018, nearly six months

after the start of the 2018 fiscal

year.

For emergency management

programs administered by the

Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA), the President’s FY

2019 budget request is proposing a

number of cuts, which are high-

lighted in Figure 1 below.

If the President’s proposed FY

2019 emergency management

program numbers look familiar, that

is because they are nearly identical

to the President’s FY 2018 funding

request, which Congress rejected. In

addition, on Apr. 13, the President

submitted a budget amendment to

his proposed FEMA budget request-

ing an additional $522 million for a

new, competitive all-hazards grant

program. The President made an

identical request as part of the FY

2018 appropriations process, but

Congress rejected funding this

unauthorized grant program.

Brock Long Testifies Before

House Homeland Security

Appropriations Subcommittee

FEMA Administrator Brock Long

testified before the House Home-

land Security Appropriations

Subcommittee on Apr. 13 on the

President’s proposed budget for

FEMA. Many Members of Congress

expressed concerns with the

magnitude and scope of the budget

cuts proposed by the President. Not

surprisingly, Administrator Long did

not want to spend a lot of time

talking about the proposed budget

cuts, but rather focused his testi-

mony on his vision for the agency.

The two-year budget deal

agreed to in February provides a

total of $579 billion in FY 2018 for all

non-defense agencies and programs

of the federal government. For FY

2019, the budget deal sets non-

defense spending at $597 billion, a

$21 billion increase above the FY

2018 level. Although this increase

opens up the possibility of additional

funding being made available for

emergency management programs,

it is by no means a guarantee, since

there are many competing demands

for funding.

Reach out to your

Members of Congress

While emergency management

programs have a long history of

bipartisan support in Congress, IAEM

members need to contact their

Members of Congress and urge

them to not only reject the

President’s proposed cuts to emer-

gency management programs, but

also to encourage them to support

additional funding for these pro-

grams.

This is especially important for

those within IAEM whose Members

of Congress serve on either the

House or Senate Appropriations

Committees. IAEM members have a

great story to tell of their work in

the community, and we need to

remind Congress of the importance

of these programs to communities

across the country. p

Figure 1. President’s FY 2019 budget request for emergency management programs.

Program FY 2019 Request FY 2018 Appropriation

FEMA Federal Assistance (total) $2,122,733,000 $3,018,731,000

EMPG $279,335,000 $350,000,000

State Homeland Security Grants $349,362,000 $507,000,000

Firefighter Assistance Grants $344,344,000 $350,000,000

Emergency Management Institute $18,824,000 $20,569,000

Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund $39,016,000 $249,200,000

15

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

A Good Support System Is Critical to Your SuccessBy Dr. Mutryce A. Williams, IAEM-Global Student Council

The Emerging Emergency Management Professional

Find an IAEM Certification Mentor here:

www.iaem.com/mentors.cfm

In previous articles in The

Emerging Emergency Man-

agement Professional series,

we have discussed mentorship, goal

setting, improving upon one’s

character, volunteering, and

remaining focused throughout one’s

academic and professional journey.

In this issue, I would like us to discuss

the importance of having a good

support system because your

support system is critical to your

success.

It’s graduation season. Many

graduates look forward to closing

that last academic textbook,

submitting that final paper, donning

a graduation gown, crossing the

stage, and receiving a much-

deserved diploma. It is indeed a

celebratory time.

This very important milestone in

one’s life is commemorated with

graduation dinners, parties, gifts,

and trips. Many graduates look

forward to the next chapter of their

lives. One door is closed, and the

other is opened.

Showing Gratitude

to your Supporters

Key to this celebratory season is

gratitude toward and acknowledge-

ment of those who were a source of

strength and support throughout

the arduous academic journey.

You may hear the refrain, “I

could not have done it without the

unwavering support of my parents,

spouse, children, siblings, professors,

advisors, teachers, coaches, spiritual

guide, trusted circle of friends, or

college mates.” You may hear, “This

accomplishment is not only mine but

it is the accomplishment of my

family or loved ones, as they were

the ones who traveled this journey

with me. It was a team effort.”

I am almost certain that there

isn’t one person who crossed or who

will cross the stage during this

graduation season who will say, “I

did it all by myself. This accomplish-

ment is mine and only mine.”

It Isn’t a Sprint –

It’s a Marathon

The academic journey is not

without its share of adversity. The

odds may seem impossible. Through-

out, you will hear that this journey is

not a sprint but rather a marathon –

and this is very true.

I recall as a student seeing an

illustration that depicted the pitfalls

or obstacles to be encountered

while on this journey. These ob-

stacles were on either side of the

road just waiting to clobber you, but

if you take a look at a marathon or

have participated in a marathon,

you realize that lining that road is a

crowd of people cheering on the

runners.

These spectators provide

encouragement. They help to

provide that much needed emo-

tional fuel which helps the

marathoner to finish the race.

Surround yourself with positive

people, people who would cheer you

on and want to see you succeed. Do

not let doubt, or the negative

comments of others detract you. Do

not become overwhelmed by what

lies ahead. Press on. In a year or two

or three or more, you will accom-

plish your goal.

It’s Easier Thanks to Those

Who Cheer You On

I am confident that you can do it.

I can tell you, however, that this

goal can be accomplished a lot

easier if you have your own crowd of

spectators lining your marathon

route, cheering you on as you move

through your academic journey.

In summary, I want you to

realize that having a good support

system is critical to your academic

success. You don’t have to go it

alone. You should not have to go it

alone.

Quotes on Support Systems

n “Have a reliable support

system around you, so that fear

doesn’t talk you out of taking

action.” – unknown

n “Surround yourself with people

who get it.” – unknown

n “We all need someone we can

count on. Having a good support

system is integral to peace of mind.”

– unknown

n “Surround yourself with people

who are going to lift you higher.”

– Oprah Winfrey

n “You have to have help –

people with the same vision as you

and people you trust.” – Monica

Potter p

16

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

Community Recipes for Resilience: Lessons from the

Super Storms of 2017, Janet K. Benini, MPA, CEM,

Professor, School of Engineering & Applied Science,

George Washington University; Co-Chair of the IAEM

Professional Development Training Certification (PDTC)

program and one of its two lead instructors; and NATO

Civil Emergency Planning Expert .................................. 17

Building a Common Operating Picture for Utility Situ-

ational Awareness during Catastrophic Emergencies,

by Matthew R. Ziska, Ph.D., CSP, CBCP, and Tanea

Thompson, CBCP, Senior Program Managers, Enterprise

Resilience, Xcel Energy ................................................. 21

Feature Articles Index

Make Sure You Receive

the Latest News!

Are you receiving the IAEM Dispatch weekly e-newsletter every Thursday?

If not, check your spam filter or

subscribe at www.iaemdispatch.com.

The IAEM Dispatch tackles today’s most relevant issues, gathered from sources like Associated Press, The Washington Post, Financial Times, and the leading industry publications. Delivered to the in-

boxes of emergency management industry profes-

sionals, the IAEM Dispatch keeps professionals informed of topics that impact their programs. Subscribers are decision-makers with purchasing power – the top-tier professionals in the industry.

Want to advertise in the Dispatch? Check out who subscribes and ask for an IAEM Dispatch media kit at www.iaemdispatch.com.

The Importance of Higher Education in Emergency

Management, by Justin G. Tilghman, MS, CEM, EMT-P,

Director of Public Safety Programs, Lenoir Community

College .......................................................................... 24

The Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) Application

Process – A Valuable Practice that has Significance and

Meaning for Everyone Involved, Webb Strang, CEM,

Safety Director, Kentucky Department of Corrections,

LaGrange, Kentucky ..................................................... 26

Energy Resilience in San Francisco and New York,

by Ben Paulos, Writer and Consultant, Solar Market

Pathways ...................................................................... 28

The IAEM Bulletin, a benefit of membership in IAEM,

is in its 35th year of providing news and resources for IAEM members. The Bulletin Archives are available online

for members only at www.iaem.com/Bulletin.

IAEM Bulletin Call for Articles:

“Cybersecurity”

Deadline for Article Submissions:

Extended to May 21, 2018

The IAEM Editorial Work Group is seeking articles on the topic of “Cybersecurity” for the first special focus issue of 2018.

Articles might include, but are not limited to: Cybersecurity 101 about securing your own security and how you protect your own assets; how you incorporate cybersecurity into your CEMP/EOP; a discussion of available Internet resources; how to coordinate cybersecurity among your response team; how to protect information in your EOC; preparing for cybersecurity incidents, vulnerabilities and risks associated with IOT (Internet of Things – including AV systems, HVAC, remote sensors, etc.), best practices for designing and conducting cybersecurity exercises.

Word length: 750-1,500 words. Email articles in Word or text format to IAEM Bulletin Editor Karen Thompson.

17

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

continued on page 18

Community Recipes for Resilience:Lessons from the Superstorms of 2017

by Janet K. Benini, MPA, CEM, Part-time Professor, School of Engineering & Applied Science,

George Washington University (teaching graduate courses in Crisis, Disaster and Risk

Management); Co-Chair of the IAEM Professional Development Training Certification (PDTC)

program and one of its two lead instructors; and NATO Civil Emergency Planning Expert1

with Mary Boone, Samantha Bopp, Leah Capek, Zoe Despertt, Jianyu Li, Rachel Metz,

Daniela Poss, Audrey Speer, Carl-Gesler St-Jean, and Shreya Venkataramana

1 As a NATO Civil Emergency Planning Expert, Janet Benini is a member of the

Standing Advisory Support Team to assist NATO member nations achieve their

goals for disaster and defense resilience.

T he three Category 4

hurricanes that struck the

United States between

August and September 2017

occupied the news for months and

filled their communities with

challenges and opportunities that

will continue for years. The larger

emergency management commu-

nity can learn several lessons about

resilience, if we look carefully at the

three events and the communities in

which they occurred.

My graduate class at the George

Washington University decided to

study the response to these storms

in depth to learn what lessons they

might hold for emergency managers

and community leaders. We focused

on the impacts of three: Harvey in

Texas, Irma in Florida and Puerto

Rico, and Maria in Puerto Rico.

We learned that communities

have different recipes for resilience,

and some work better than others

do. Here are three primary ingredi-

ents for a successful recipe for

resilience:

n Where you end up depends on

where you start. Both mitigation

and preparedness pay off for

communities that invest in them.

n Resilience depends on the

“whole of community,” which has a

broader definition than just busi-

nesses and NGOs helping govern-

ment. The role of local government

as “conductor of the orchestra” is

essential.

n The local specifics of each

community vary widely and heavily

influence the recipe for resilience for

that community.

The Storms’ Impacts

The storms were historic: Harvey

dumped 27 trillion gallons of water

in Texas, resulting in 82 deaths and

approximately $180 billion in

damages. In Florida, Irma killed 75

and created $150-200 billion in

damage. Between Irma and Maria

in Puerto Rico, the official death toll

is 64, which differs from the 1,052

that other unofficial sources have

reported, and about $95 billion in

damage to a much frailer infrastruc-

ture.

Evacuations

There were unclear and contra-

dictory signals in all three locations

about evacuations. Emergency

managers would be wise to review

and consider revising evacuation

plans. In Texas, while the Governor

urged evacuations in part or all of 30

counties — potentially 6.5 million

people – the Mayor of Houston felt

citizens were safer staying home.

Florida had a similar experience with

6.3 million people under evacuation

orders, but Miami-Dade hesitating

and then encouraging only people

“living near construction cranes” to

evacuate. Although an early

implementer of contra-flow, or

making most freeway lanes travel

only in one direction, in this case

Florida did not implement that

system, instead allowing evacuees

to drive on the freeway shoulders in

addition to the lanes on their side of

the freeway. In Puerto Rico, while

officials urged thousands to evacu-

ate for Hurricane Irma and 4,000

took shelter in the convention

center, the most urgent evacuation

order came following Hurricane

Maria, when 70,000 people were

ordered to move out immediately

when a dam experienced a major

breach. Due primarily to lack of

communications, only fewer than

350 actually did evacuate, and the

fast action of the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers reduced the breach to

save thousands of lives.

Search and Rescue

Nowhere did local volunteers

and community support demon-

strate their power as in the search

and rescue efforts following the

hurricanes. The Cajun Navy, a

nonprofit organization formed in

Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina

and used in the floods of 2016,

rescued thousands in Houston

following Hurricane Harvey. Neigh-

bors and friends also accomplished

many of the rescues in Puerto Rico,

where infrastructure damage

18

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

Community Recipes for Resilience

continued from page 17

was devastated. After help from

outside, WIPR AM was able to

broadcast after a few days, but only

while spending $5,000 per week on

diesel fuel for generators, as power

was still out. Coast Alaska then

donated a “radio to go” kit, and two

engineers to set it up, so the station

could run on as little power as a car

battery.

Media attention from the

outside also varied greatly as the

graphic below demonstrates.

Whether due to “hurricane fatigue”

as suggested by some pundits, or

just the geographical and technical

difficulties associated with Puerto

Rico, the events there were not

highlighted in the media nearly as

much as the preceding hurricanes

mainland.

Private Sector

Businesses are the engines of

communities, and business continu-

ity management has improved

dramatically in the last decade.

Businesses also recognize their

crucial role in supporting employees.

Walmart spent $1.5 million on its

impacted employees, and Target

gave $100 gift cards to 10,000 of its

employees affected by the storms.

Starbucks closed its stores early in

the areas where storms were

coming, to allow their employees to

prepare their families, yet continued

to pay the employees’ wages.

Businesses then stepped up after

the storms to recover quickly. Many

provided goods and services for free.

Chobani offered their products, and

Duracell gave free batteries.

Verizon, AT&T and other communi-

cations companies went to extraor-

dinary lengths to quickly restore

services, including using LTE balloons

in areas that were impassible for

service vehicles. They offered

unlimited text and voice calls. They

also set up free charging lockers for

mobile phone users without electric-

ity. The banking system collaborated

to quickly re-establish services in

Puerto Rico, despite widespread and

ongoing power outages.

Companies also reached out to

help damaged communities as a

whole. Target donated $4 million to

various charities; Walmart provided

$20 million of supplies for shelters;

and Tesla provided solar panels and

batteries for Puerto Rico.

The business/government

interface improved, too. FEMA’s

limited the travels of federal search

and rescue teams. Nonetheless,

more than 28 federal teams acti-

vated during the three responses,

accomplishing thousands of rescues

of people and pets.

Public Information

and Media Attention

Communications is an important

area where the Texas and Florida

experience was quite different from

that of Puerto Rico. As part of the

nation’s alert and warning system,

the use of datacasting by Houston

public media not only provided

detailed public information, includ-

ing video from static cameras and

drones, but also it was possible to

get encrypted data to targeted

recipients in the responder commu-

nity even when other stations lacked

power. Florida’s extensive public

information network used conven-

tional and social media to advantage

citizens’ communications. In

contrast, the public radio and

television capability in Puerto Rico continued on page 19

19

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

more robust systems, and Puerto

Rico paying a huge price for its

systems that went into the storm in

a fragile and vulnerable state.

In Texas, 290 roads were closed,

and 13 bridges damaged. Repairs

were estimated at $25 million.

Florida’s road damage consisted

primarily of debris removal. Puerto

Rico’s road damage was much more

severe, as 1,500 roads closed and an

estimated $240 million was needed

for repair.

The water systems in Puerto Rico

were also far more affected than in

either Texas or Florida, although

there were short-term impacts in

those states, too. About 28 million

gallons of untreated wastewater

was released in 22 counties in

Florida, and 1% of the wastewater

treatment plans in Texas were taken

offline. In Puerto Rico, over half of

the population was impacted by lack

of fresh water treatment and/or

wastewater processing.

Again, with electrical systems, in

Texas 300,000 customers lost power,

and in Florida it was 16 million. But

in Puerto Rico, all 3.4 million

customers lost power, with 80% of

transmission lines damaged or

destroyed and repairs continuing for

months into years.

Finally, looking at the school

systems, in both Texas and Florida

schools were closed for 10 days or

less. In Puerto Rico at the one-

month post event milestone, only

9% of schools were open, and many

of those were without power. Many

Puerto Rican families are relocating,

with Florida, Texas and New York

increasing their student populations

and streamlining the teacher

certification process to be able to

hire Puerto Rican teachers.

Healthcare

Texas provides an excellent

example of how mitigation mea-

sures improve system performance.

The Texas Medical Center (TMC) in

Houston is one of the largest in the

world. After experiencing repeated

floods, the Center invested in

submarine-type doorways which

they can close if flooding is ex-

pected. As a result, even when the

surrounding community was inun-

dated, the Center stayed open and

fully operational. The TMC also

included a system of sheltering in

place for hospital staff and even

their families, while in Florida one

hospital created a “kids camp” so

parents could work long hours

without feeling a conflict with their

family responsibilities. Contrast this

with Puerto Rico, where more than

half of medical personnel were

unable to report to work after the

storm, either due to family or

transportation issues.

An example of an emerging

concern that emergency managers

need to consider, particularly with

the aging population of the United

States, is the number of people with

chronic disease who use dialysis or

other regular interventions to

survive. Chronic Kidney Disease

(CKD) affects 14% of the U.S.

population and is rising. African

Americans are 3.7% more likely to

suffer from CKD than those of

European descent. About 661,000

Americans require dialysis, a life-

saving treatment that needs to be

administered for about four hours

per treatment, three times a week.

Geographically, there are clusters of

patients, with Florida’s rate of

people needing dialysis nearly

double the national average. Dialysis

centers are spread throughout

communities and made plans as best

possible pre-storm. But in Texas, a

third of the centers were shut down

due to the storm, and waiting lines

in others were up to four hours long.

In Florida, the largest dialysis center

Community Recipes for Resilience

continued from page 18

National Business Emergency

Operations Center not only helps

companies prepare themselves, it

also coordinates businesses, espe-

cially from the impacted areas, to

compete for government response

and recovery contracts. Long-

standing government/business

partnerships, such as the Civil

Reserve Air Fleet, provide expand-

able logistical support from the

private sector for government

during critical events.

Nongovernmental

Organizations (NGOs)

The usual nongovernmental

organizations responded in force to

these hurricanes. For example, the

American Red Cross set up 10 mobile

kitchens in Texas, each capable of

serving 10,000 meals per day. In

Puerto Rico, they provided over

650,000 shelter nights and 1.5

million meals. Smaller, disaster-

specific NGOs are gaining in popular-

ity. Examples include Direct Relief,

which provided $2.7 million in grants

to health care organizations, and

Team Rubicon, where military

veterans spent eight weeks as

volunteers removing debris. Caras

Con Causa, a local Puerto Rican

NGO, helped coordinate the activi-

ties of other NGOs working in the

area. Social media platforms, such

as Facebook with their “R U OK?”

program, not only check in on

subscribers but also match those in

need with other members nearby

who can help.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure damage was the

area where the locations varied the

most, with Florida and Texas

beginning and ending with much continued on page 20

20

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

Community Recipes for Resilience

continued from page 19

was able to reopen within hours of

the wind dying down, and received

hundreds of patients diverted from

other centers.

Environment

The hurricanes had environmen-

tal impacts on all three areas.

Florida experienced threats that

might not be found in other states,

such as to endangered species like

the Key Deer and also alligators and

fire ants seeking higher ground. In

both Texas and Puerto Rico, hazard-

ous materials created the greatest

problems. In Texas, 46 petroleum-

processing facilities in 13 counties

reported 4.6 M pounds of emissions

exceeding state standards. At least

12 superfund sites around Houston

flooded, resulting in the release of

various toxic chemicals. Puerto Rico

is home to one of the largest and

most complicated superfund sites –

which includes bombs, unexploded

ordinance and military ammunition.

It also has huge piles of coal ash near

populated areas, and because of

these issues, much of the public

drinking water was contaminated

following the storms.

Each location experienced an

increase in waterborne disease, with

a disproportionate impact on low-

income communities, and both long-

term and widespread effects.

Federal Support

The chart below summarizes the

level of Federal support in each

location, approximately one month

post-hurricane. Supplemental

appropriations, mostly for public

infrastructure recovery, are under-

way as of the writing of this article.

Resilience Recipes

Resilience, or the ability to

bounce back, is what differentiates

our communities and where we

reached the conclusion that, “where

you end up depends on where you

start.” Florida generally cleared up

the debris and moved on. Houston,

known for its lack of land use

regulations and rapid growth, still

struggles with citizens and busi-

nesses considering whether or not –

and how – to rebuild in the Houston

basin. Puerto Rico, at the bottom to

begin, remains crippled as citizens

evaluate their options. The govern-

ment, struggling with its own

bankruptcy, is challenged to inspire

the national government to invest.

At the same time, variations in

resilience are not so clear-cut.

Houston benefited from experienc-

ing the first big hurricane of the

season, with the attendant media,

government and NGO attention.

Responders then switched over to

Florida and breathed a sigh of relief

that the impact was not worse. By

the time they were shipped out

again to Puerto Rico, many were

both physically and mentally

exhausted.

In all communities, residents

rose to the occasion – whether

breaking out the fishing boats to

rescue neighbors in Houston or

breaking through barbed wire

fences to reach drinking water in

Puerto Rico. In all cases, NGO and

government support supplements

what families and neighborhoods

are able to accomplish.

Communities are vulnerable to

natural hazard events. The three

super storms of 2017 provide lessons

for all emergency managers and

community leaders that building

with an understanding and consider-

ation of risks; helping our citizens,

families and businesses

to withstand the forces

of nature; and engag-

ing local government to

both coordinate efforts

and reach out effec-

tively for support is the

best recipe for resil-

ience. p

21

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

Building a Common Operating Picture for UtilitySituational Awareness During Catastrophic Emergencies

By Matthew R. Ziska, Ph.D., CSP, CBCP, and Tanea Thompson, CBCP,

Senior Program Managers, Enterprise Resilience, Xcel Energy

continued on page 22

W eather-related

disasters are the

leading causes of

power outages across the United

States (Department of Energy, n.d.).

Severe weather has led to wide-

spread power outages that have

shut down entire cities, including

essential services such as emergency

services, water services, and

medical services. The disruption

caused by severe weather in

communities has cost the U.S.

economy billions of dollars (Depart-

ment of Energy, n.d.).

The 2017 hurricane season was

especially devastating to the

Southern United States, the Virgin

Islands, and the Puerto Rican

territory, with economic impacts

higher than $200 billion in damages

(National Atmospheric and Oceanic

Administration, n.d). Puerto Rico

was hit the hardest, losing their

entire utility and communication

infrastructures. The Federal Emer-

gency Management Agency pre-

dicted that, 30 days after Hurricane

Maria made landfall, only 21% of

power utility service would be

restored. As of the beginning of Jan.

2018, 55% of the island was still

without electricity (R. Ellis, 2017).

Electric utility first response is a

vital part of providing a resilient

electric grid. Utility response

priorities focus on safety – employee

safety, public safety, and the health

of the electric grid. But what

happens when the utility does not

have all the information they need

to respond to power-related

emergencies following a cata-

strophic event like a severe storm?

How do utility companies build the

common operating picture to ensure

the safety of the utility first re-

sponder and the public? The article

will review the potential tools

necessary for developing a utility’s

emergency situational awareness

program.

Severe Weather Impacts

Devastating weather events

create visibility challenges for

utilities and first responders when

entire systems become unavailable

due to widespread damage. Hurri-

cane Katrina, Super Storm Sandy,

and the hurricanes that tore

through the southern United States

and Territories in 2017 caused losses

that disrupted commerce and made

response difficult. The sustained

damages from Hurricane Katrina

included 2.6 million customers

without power, destroyed more

than 50,000 distribution poles,

damaged 1,200 miles of transmis-

sion and distribution lines, and

impacted 98 substations (Office of

Electric Delivery, 2005; Southwire,

2012; Gallant, 2016).

Super Storm Sandy damaged or

destroyed more than 220 transform-

ers, distribution poles, and hundreds

of miles of below ground and above

ground distribution wiring, leaving

8.6 million customers without power

in 21 states (Atlantic City Electric,

2013; Department of Energy, 2013).

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and

Maria had combined devastating

impacts to the Gulf Coast states’

electric grid. Texas power plant

generation was impacted by

flooding, and high voltage transmis-

sion line damages caused wide-

spread outages (EIA, 2017). The

state of Florida experienced 6.2

million customer power outages and

oil refineries, fuel supplies, and

seaports were shut down (DOE,

2017). The Puerto Rican islands

were severely impacted by a

complete loss of their electric grid

causing 1.1 million to be without

power. However, official damage

assessments have not yet been

released.

The tremendous damages

caused by severe weather events

makes coordination and communica-

tion of response resources difficult.

Communication systems that are not

available lead to the erroneous

availability of resources. During

Super Storm Sandy, communication

troubles led to the misinformation of

resource availability and a skewed

picture of the impacts to the

communities within the 21 states

(DOE, 2013). The lack of readily

available communication informa-

tion was one of many challenges

faced by utilities following the

devastating storm.

Challenges Encountered by

Utilities During Severe Storms

Following the response to

Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm

Sandy, the Department of Energy

(2006 & 2013) identified the

following problems faced by the

electric utilities sector:

n Inadequate situational

awareness before and following the

severe storm event.

n Resource availability and

resource shortfalls were not known.

n System damage forecasts

were unavailable.

n Road access to critical system

components was not pre-identified.

22

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

continued on page 23

engineering controls as improving a

system’s visibility of hazards to

developing the ability to communi-

cate those hazards in an emergency.

Process and procedure documen-

tation for utility first responders,

control centers, and command

centers provides a set of written

instructions to begin thinking

through an emergency event.

Incident-specific protocols, check-

lists, pre-determined communica-

tion distribution lists, templates for

recording main elements of an

emergency, and defined escalation

criteria for communications, assist in

the immediate response interaction

to establish the common operating

picture.

The National Incident Manage-

ment and the Incident Command

Systems have defined administrative

document templates to assist in

identifying, recording, communicat-

ing, and coordinating resources

during an emergency. Twenty-five

forms are accessible online. Adop-

tion of the National Incident

Management and Incident Com-

mand Systems will support organiza-

tional development to build the

common operating picture and

improve situational awareness.

Training personnel to use the

various checklists and recording

documents provides an opportunity

for familiarization with the tools

used in an emergency. If personnel

are thrust into a crisis without

training, the tools available become

irrelevant – leading to confusion,

missed opportunities, and miscom-

munication. This can causing a

possible skewed view of the situ-

ational picture.

Training programs designed to

introduce, review, and use policies,

procedures, standards and the many

forms used to categorize an emer-

gency will improve incident commu-

nication and ultimately the execu-

tion of incident elements. The

Department of Homeland Security’s

Exercise and Evaluation Program is a

government training standard that

can assist utilities in building a

training program. The training

program uses a gradual step process

that introduces personnel to

emergency response processes,

tests those processes through drills,

and then progresses toward exercis-

ing learned objectives in a functional

environment.

While documented administra-

tive controls and training are

essential aspects of response

management, implementing

engineering controls is equally

important. Utilities use control

centers to oversee the electric

system that transmits power to and

through the electric grid. But what

about developing an integrated

command center that monitors the

entire enterprise? An enterprise

command center with up-to-date

awareness technologies that feed

into a single system will assist

companies to paint a comprehensive

situational portrait. The tools and

software programs that may be

necessary to build that one common

picture could include:

n Employee and executive travel

tracking.

n Corporate flight and asset

tracking.

n Integrated mass notification

program.

n Public and private weather

software.

n Facility and asset mapping.

n Security cameras.

n Social media analysis software.

n Local and national news.

n Open source information feeds

(crime, civil unrest, and severe

weather).

n Electric system health feeds.

n Geospatial mapping.

n Various sector specific intelli-

gence sources.

n Open communication from

utilities to government sector

agencies did not occur before event.

n Estimated times of power

restoration were not readily

available.

n Fuel storage quantities and

fuel access for vehicle operation

were not known.

n Mutual aid resources were not

considered before the event and

were not pre-staged to respond.

n Interdependencies between

the electric sector and the other

lifeline critical infrastructures were

not identified.

The problems the Department of

Energy listed can be extended to all

private, public, and non-governmen-

tal agencies during a catastrophic

storm. The question begins to form:

How do sectors build better situ-

ational awareness to support a

common operating picture?

Building the Situational

Awareness Picture

We begin the discussion by

answering the question through the

examination of the hierarchy of

system improvement. The system

improvement has three main

components, but we will explore the

first two components: (1) adminis-

trative controls, and (2) engineering

controls.

Administrative controls refer to

written policies, standards, proce-

dures and training used to improve

human behavioral responses to

known or unknown hazards

(Manuele, 2005). Engineering

controls relate to the development

or improvement of physical systems

to eliminate risks. However, in the

context of the discussion, think of

Building a Common Operating Picture for Utility

Situational Awareness

continued from page 21

23

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

Systems are an intricate piece of

defining the administrative

controls that consolidate policies,

standards, procedures, and

training. These systems will provide

an opportunity to integrate into the

National Response Framework that

promotes improved competency for

responding personnel and standard-

ized communication between

critical infrastructure sectors such as

the utility and government sectors.

2. Centralizing information

feeds through one common

situational awareness function.

Assembling several information

streams from weather services,

travel services, news services,

security cameras, geospatial

mapping, etc., can help build the

common operating picture for

incident responders.

3. Housing the centralized

information system into one

command center that oversees

internal and external elements.

Developing a command center

provides information sharing,

relationship building with external

organizations, and can provide for

the success of communicating

situational awareness during an

emergency event.

Utility organizations are not

strangers to adversity from natural

disasters. Utility organizations

answer the call and respond when

severe storms tear through commu-

nities causing widespread disruption.

Incident responses are never perfect

and typically change even with the

best-laid plans, but that does not

mean there is not room for improve-

ment. Improving communications

and situational awareness to build

the common operating picture

cannot be done alone. It indeed is a

team effort inclusive of every

employee in an organization.

Exploring best practices, new ideas,

old ideas, and sharing information

among industry communities are

critical components to incident management success. This article quickly touched on elements that may be helpful to utilities to improve communication and situational awareness to build the common operating picture. Ultimately, all organizations can benefit from the information outlined in this article, and we know that changes in approach to incident management are positive for all organizations to

become much more resilient. p

References

n Atlantic City Electric. (2013). Hurricane Sandy one year later.

n Danielsson, E., Alvinius, A., & Larsson, G. (2014). From common operating picture to situational awareness. International journal of emergency management, 10(1), 28-

47.

n Department of Energy. (n.d.). Economic benefits of increasing electric grid resilience to weather outages.

n Department of Energy. (2013). Overview response to Hurricane Sandy – noreaster and recommen-

dations for improvement.

n Department of Homeland Security. (2013). Homeland security exercise and evaluation program.

n Ellis, R.& Santiago, L. (2017). Puerto Rico: Power restored to 55%of customers, governor’s office says.

n Gallant, J. (2016). Hurricane Katrina damage costs now paid in full by energy ms.

n Manuele, F. A. (2005). Risk assessment & hierarchies of control. Professional Safety, 50(5), 33.

n Office of Electric Delivery and Energy Reliability. (2005). Hurricane Katrina situation report.

n Southwire. (2012). A hurri-canes effect of electricity.

Building a Common Operating Picture for Utility

Situational Awareness

continued from page 22

The ability to quickly and effi-

ciently use these program tools in a

variety of situations (and on a

variety of devices) also may be

considered when building the crisis

management and situational

awareness picture.

Situational awareness software

tools and programs in a centralized

location for crisis response facilita-

tion are vital components in optimiz-

ing visibility in an emergency

through engineering. A command

center located within a utility

organization can assist incident

responders by being the one source

to organize the common operating

picture and facilitate situational

awareness communications.

Summary and

Recommendations

Building situational awareness

and communicating the common

operating picture during an emer-

gency may mean the difference

between an organized or unorga-

nized response. There are several

elements to consider when prepar-

ing to paint that picture: employing

administrative controls; training

personnel; and dedicating resources

to centralize information through a

command center. No matter if the

organization is a utility, public

organization or private organiza-

tion, incident response is a vital part

of any organized system no matter

the size. It is recommended that

utilities and those working in other

organizations consider adopting the

following to improve communica-

tions and developing the common

operating picture:

1. National Incident Manage-

ment and Incident Command

24

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

The Importance of Higher Educationin Emergency Management

By Justin G. Tilghman, MS, CEM, EMT-P,

Director of Public Safety Programs, Lenoir Community College

continued on page 25

E xperience is invaluable to

any emergency manage-

ment professional. Few

things can replace the experiential

knowledge that comes with putting

together IAPs, conducting briefings,

overseeing mitigation projects, and

actually coordinating multi-agency

responses to disasters. The hours

spent “in the trenches” are worth

their weight in gold.

However, does that mean that

formal education does not have a

place at the table? Thankfully, our

state, national, and international

level associations say “No.” In the

spirit of full disclosure, I have

completed an emergency manage-

ment degree program and fully

believe it has been integral to my

career development and opportuni-

ties in the area of public safety, in

general, and emergency manage-

ment in particular. While experience

is essential, completing formal

education in the discipline of

emergency management has

several benefits for the new, and

even the seasoned, emergency

management professional.

Education Shows Drive

Completing any degree program

is no small task. Even the most

modest of degree programs in

emergency management can

require you to complete upwards of

120 credit hours of course work in

order to complete the program of

study. Add to that the rigors of

research, actual employment,

general education requirements,

and major courses that may not be

immediately in your “wheel house” –

and you have a difficult task ahead

of you that will stretch you and

require you to engage all of your

faculties in order to complete it.

In essence, starting and finishing

a degree program demonstrates

that an individual has a drive and a

commitment to see things through.

Employers are looking for employees

with just that type of grit and

determination, which is partly why

they are increasingly requiring some

form of formal college-level educa-

tion.

Education Shows Commitment

to Self-Improvement

Education also speaks to your

willingness to improve yourself in all

areas. College education isn’t just

about learning and regurgitating

knowledge. A college education also

teaches you several valuable soft-

skills. By completing assignments

and interacting with your class-

mates, you’re inherently learning

how to collaborate with a team and

effectively communicate with

others. With each research paper

you write, you’re learning: (a) how

to validate information and ensure

its accuracy before publicly present-

ing it to others and (b) how to find

trusted sources of information when

solving problems or exploring

solutions.

There’s a reason they call it the

“Lifetime Learning” tax credit.

Participating in formal education

demonstrates to all of those around

you that you understand the

importance of a posture of humility

and life-long self-assessment. We will

never know all there is to know in a

given field or subject. In the emer-

gency management field, we should

know better than anyone how

dangerous unknowns can be. Why

would we not be a part of increasing

our knowledge base in an effort to

reduce those “unknowns” as best we

can?

Education Demonstrates

Your Ability to Think Deeply

One of the most important soft-

skills often associated with higher

levels of education is the higher level

of critical thinking and analysis that

is often required. Participating in

higher education programs related

to emergency management will not

only require you to think critically

and analytically about emergency

related problems and scenarios, but

also will require you think broadly

and holistically as you incorporate

knowledge from the other courses

you’ve completed. College-level

work in emergency management

requires you to evaluate your

opinions by seeking out verified

research and then applying what

others have learned and discovered

to your own opinions and hypoth-

eses. By thinking deeply about

emergency management related

issues you’ll develop the skills

necessary to identify blind spots and

weaknesses in your thought pro-

cesses, which inevitably influence

your decision making. It doesn’t

replace your practice, but critical

thinking certainly improves your

practice.

Education Promotes Networking

Networking is essential to most

any field, but most certainly in the

field of emergency management.

25

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

We all know how invaluable it can be

to have contacts when emergencies

hit or when we have difficult

problems to solve. Things are often

easier when we have others who

can help. Being involved in emer-

gency management education

programs puts you in contact with

many of the best practitioners and

thinkers in the field. Not only are

your professors a wealth of knowl-

edge and information, but your

classmates can, and will, prove

invaluable to you as you continue in

your career.

The field of emergency manage-

ment touches so many sectors of our

economy and our government, often

allowing emergency management

students to create a wide and

eclectic professional network via

their classroom interactions. You will

appreciate the opportunity to call up

a classmate who has tried a particu-

lar mitigation strategy in their

jurisdiction or to speak with a

professor who can provide you with

insight and help when researching

and preparing a proposal for your

board or council. The network of

individuals that I came to know

through my emergency manage-

ment degree program has proven to

be essential to my work as both a

practitioner and an educator. I

would not be where I am today if it

had not been, in part, for the

contacts and friends I made while

pursuing my education in emergency

management.

Final Thoughts

You can be a good emergency

management professional based on

experience. But is it possible that

formal education could be the

catalyst to making you a “great”

emergency management profes-

sional? As I said earlier, experience is

still worth its weight in gold, and I’m

not attempting to suggest that

formal education can solve all of

your problems. However, the soft-

skills and personal development that

takes place in formal education can

certainly benefit you in your prac-

tice. In addition, like it or not, formal

education often increases the

perception and respect given to

various fields (just look at fields such

as nursing and business).

After all is said and done, I would

encourage you to at least consider

how formal education might assist

The Importance of HigherEducation in EM

continued from page 24

Advertise in the

IAEM Bulletin

Obtain details on ad

guidelines and

costs at

www.iaem.com/Bulletin.

IAEM members and

EMEX exhibitors

receive a discount

on advertising.

Questions? Contact

Karen Thompson, editor.

The IAEM Bulletin is distrib-

uted monthly to IAEM members,

plus others with government and

legislative roles in emergency

management. It is distributed at

national, regional and state

emergency management

conferences.

The specialists who read the

IAEM Bulletin frequently play a

key role in selecting, purchasing,

and using emergency equipment,

supplies, products

and services. p

you in your career goals and en-

hance your practice in the field.

What do you have to lose? p

References

n Martin, D. D. (2012, June 29).6 Reasons Why Graduate School

Pays Off.

n Rose, S. (2013). The Value of aCollege Degree.

n Samuelson, C. (2017, January06). Does a College Degree Still

Matter?

n Stahl, A. (2015, August 12). SixReasons Why Your College Major

Doesn’t Matter.

Get involved in IAEM!Join an IAEM committee or caucus.

Go online to see a complete list of IAEM-USA Standing Committees, Caucuses, and Ad Hoc Committees and IAEM-

Canada Committees, with links to each committee’s web

page.

Peruse committee pages to find your area(s) of interest. Then contact the chair, and volunteer to participate in that committee’s work.

26

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

The CEM® Application Process: A Valuable Practice ThatHas Significance and Meaning for Everyone Involved

By Webb Strang, CEM, Safety Director,

Kentucky Department of Corrections, LaGrange, Kentucky

continued on page 27

T ee Certified Emergency

Manager (CEM®) creden-

tial is one of the most

sought after, and hardest to acquire,

certifications in emergency manage-

ment. The CEM® is valuable,

because it is difficult to obtain and

requires the holder to be a compre-

hensive emergency manager. A

comprehensive emergency manager

possesses the knowledge, skills and

abilities required and is able to

demonstrate their competency.

The CEM® process is rigorous and

requires much more of applicants

than other industry certifications. It

is also the gold standard of the

emergency management field. With

that being said, I encourage all of

you who meet the criteria to pursue

this certification. You will be thrilled

with the accomplishment, and it will

be valuable to you and your col-

leagues because it was rigorous and

challenging.

I have the good fortune of being

a CEM® Mentor, and I have been

pondering the significance of the

certification journey during the past

year. Each step in the certification

process has a purpose. Each step is

part of a complete picture that

validates the CEM® holder as an

expert in their field.

The following article will provide

you with some insight and explana-

tion of why I feel each step in the

process is important and serves to

demonstrate the knowledge, skill

and ability of the applicant.

Experience

The CEM® requires that an

applicant have three years of

comprehensive emergency

management experience. This

means participating in all four

phases of emergency management.

Emergency managers, operating at

the comprehensive level, must

examine all hazards and impacts and

understand how those hazards and

impacts affect all stakeholders in all

the phases of emergency manage-

ment.

This amount and type of experi-

ence is required, because the CEM®

credential represents a comprehen-

sive professional who is familiar

with, experienced in, and comfort-

able with all aspects of emergency

management. Specialists in emer-

gency management are very

important and valuable. However,

this credential is about demonstrat-

ing that an individual is experienced

in all phases of emergency manage-

ment, and able to manage and

coordinate activities that take place

between those phases with all the

stakeholders involved.

Exercise Participation or

Actual Disaster/Planned

Event Experience

Exercise participation of a

substantive nature is important,

because exercises represent the

culmination of work in all phases of

emergency management. Fulfilling

an essential function, like that of a

controller or evaluator, demon-

strates a level of involvement in

comprehensive emergency manage-

ment. It also shows that the CEM®

applicant’s knowledge, skills and

abilities are recognized and sought

after for application during these

events. Applicants can submit

documentation of substantive

participation in a single full-scale

exercise or two functional exercises.

Serving in a substantive role in an

actual incident, or planned event,

will fulfill this requirement as well.

Both of these avenues allow the

CEM® candidate to show they

possess the knowledge, skills and

abilities to function as an emergency

manager within the context of

complex and unfolding events.

References

References are important,

because they show that those you

work with, and those you work for,

see you as an accomplished, ethical,

and reliable professional. The

references also serve to verify and

validate the contents of the applica-

tion. CEM® holders must have these

qualities to represent the certifica-

tion well. CEM® holders will likely fill

roles that involve bringing agencies

together, working through conflicts,

solving problems, and supervising

various emergency management

functions. The confidence of your

supervisor means something, and

shows that you possess the qualities

needed to perform these sensitive

tasks.

Education

Education is very important in

the world today. A bachelor’s

degree represents a significant

accomplishment and shows that the

applicant possesses the ability to

think critically, set goals, and follow

through with a long-term plan. A

bachelor’s degree, or higher, in

emergency management will reduce

27

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

The CEM® Application Process

continued from page 26

improved their communities through

their varied efforts.

Essay

Every CEM® will have to put their

thoughts into concise and clear

terms often in their careers.

Emergency managers are tasked

with bringing many parties together

so that they can generate, and

participate in, comprehensive plans.

These emergency operations plans

are complex, multilayered, and

often involve coordination between

parties who are not familiar with

one another. The ability to write

clearly and concisely about a

complex idea is an essential skill for a

CEM®. Writing is one of the most

essential and difficult skills in our

profession.

The essay takes the place of an

oral interview and makes the CEM®

review process more manageable,

while allowing the candidate to

deliver a well thought out response

to the essay question. The essay

requirement provides an important

opportunity to confirm the CEM®

applicant’s writing skills and under-

standing of comprehensive emer-

gency management.

Exam

Emergency management is a

discipline that involves many sets of

protocols, regulations, processes,

terminology, and even philosophical

ideas. The exam allows the applicant

to demonstrate a comprehensive

understanding of the many facets of

emergency management, as well as

their ability to recall and apply

information without outside assis-

tance. It is also important to note

that the multiple-choice format

allows for shorter testing time than

an essay-based test, and it works

well across the IAEM’s international

constituency. A CEM® holder must

possess a broad emergency manage-

ment knowledge base, and must be

able to apply this knowledge in the

moment. A passing score on the

CEM® exam demonstrates this

knowledge and ability.

Conclusion

The CEM® application process is

extremely rigorous, and will prove

beyond doubt the knowledge, skill

and ability of the professionals who

hold the credential. My advice is

that every candidate should treat

the process as an opportunity to

show your peers all the hard work

you have done to become the

professional you are. This process is

designed to validate and confirm

that the CEM® holder is indeed an

experienced and able emergency

manager, with the ability to function

in all phases of emergency manage-

ment, in concert with all stakehold-

ers. I want to reiterate that the

certification is meaningful, because

it is hard to obtain. It will be that

much more exciting when you

achieve your goal. p

the experience requirement by one

year.

Training

Education and training are

different. The training portion of the

CEM® criteria demonstrates that

the applicant has completed a

significant amount of recent training

in various disciplines of emergency

management, including general

management skills, which are very

important in the emergency manger

role. This shows that the applicant is

hungry for knowledge, has a well-

rounded understanding of emer-

gency management, and has

received instruction in a wide range

of applicable subject matter. Every

CEM® should be a life-long learner,

and acquiring 200 hours of training

in various disciplines over 10 years

shows that the applicant believes in

staying current and always increas-

ing their skills.

Professional Contributions

CEM® holders are leaders in their

field. Leaders must give back to the

profession and be involved in

developing and growing emergency

management. Six different profes-

sional contributions are required to

demonstrate that the applicant is

involved in emergency management

in a broad and meaningful way.

There is no better way to positively

affect the profession than by

interacting with others, educating,

and creating impactful work prod-

ucts. Professional contributions are a

great way for applicants to show us

the comprehensive nature of their

work in emergency management,

and demonstrate how they have had

a positive impact on the emergency

management profession and

Be recognized for your professional achievements!

Enter the 2018 IAEM Awards Competition by June 1, 2018,

5:00 p.m. Eastern time

Did you read the article about the IAEM Awards Competition on page 7? Cullen Case and Rocky Lopes make a great case for entering your best work in the competition. We know that you’re proud of your IAEM membership. Give the IAEM judges a chance to review what you have accomplished. Recognition by IAEM means something, so read page 7. Then visit the IAEM Awards web page at www.iaem.com/

Awards, and resolve to enter the contest this year. Did I mention it’s free for IAEM members?

28

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

Energy Resilience in San Francisco and New YorkBy Ben Paulos, Writer and Consultant, Solar Market Pathways1

1 Ben Paulos works with a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy –

Solar Market Pathways, which supports innovative ways to deploy solar energy.

T his has been the year of

the disaster, with hurri-

canes, earthquakes and

wildfires ravaging North America. In

addition to the terrible loss of life

and property, impacted communi-

ties have struggled with the loss of

energy. Electricity is the vital life

force of a modern economy, and

without it everything grinds to a

halt. Communication systems fail,

hospitals are evacuated, and people

can even die.

While power outages can

sometimes be quickly remedied,

they can also last for weeks. Only

16% percent of Puerto Rico had

power three weeks after Hurricane

Maria decimated the island. Crews

struggled to replace power lines,

transformers and substations. Many

facilities and residents rely on diesel

and gasoline generators as a source

of back-up power. But disasters

often interrupt fuel supply chains,

making it hard to get enough fuel to

last more than a few days.

Incidents like these have spurred

cities to look more closely at how

they plan for electricity in their

emergency management prepara-

tions. Many are looking at new

approaches, using solar and battery

storage technologies to provide

greater reliability and economics

than diesel generators.

A traditional grid-connected

solar installation shuts off during

outages, to avoid putting power

onto downed lines. But systems that

combine solar with new inverters

and battery technologies are able to

“island” themselves, providing

power to a facility during extended

grid outages. A “resilient solar”

system avoids the fuel risk of gas or

diesel generators, with the added

benefit of providing services every

day – generating electricity when

the sun shines and using the battery

to cut peak demand charges. It’s an

emergency backup system that

helps pay for itself.

While there is enormous poten-

tial for this technology to meet a

critical need, getting beyond the

early adopters and into the main-

stream for these projects can be

challenging. Local governments first

need to inventory and evaluate their

emergency facilities with an eye

toward resilient solar deployment.

Then they need to prioritize the best

prospects, which often means

analyzing the specific features and

uses of a facility. Last, novel tech-

nologies can be difficult to finance,

since they may not be eligible for

existing support programs.

Ideally, energy resilience plan-

ning should be done at both indi-

vidual sites and at the community

level. Macro-level planning allows

solar-plus systems to be integrated

at scale into emergency manage-

ment plans. It can also enable the

city to identify and address barriers

to deployment, like permitting and

financing.

With funding from the U.S.

Department of Energy, SunShot

Initiative, the City and County of San

Francisco and Sustainable CUNY at

the City University of New York have

completed in-depth feasibility

studies on how to provide electricity

to critical facilities like police and fire

stations, hospitals, and shelters.

Other communities have the

opportunity to learn from these

continued on page 29

leading cities, and to use the

practical tools, educational materi-

als, and software they have devel-

oped.

San Francisco

San Francisco’s Department of

the Environment (SFE) undertook

the study to examine the use of solar

and storage systems at facilities

throughout the city that would serve

critical loads in times of emergen-

cies.

“Neighborhood resources like

fire stations, community centers,

and schools often become a place of

operation for emergency response,”

notes Peter Gallotta, Department of

the Environment spokesperson. “It’s

critical to have backup power at

these sites in the event of the next

large-scale grid outage.”

Because batteries are expensive

and take up space in a facility, they

are rarely sized to power an entire

building. Rather, for each facility,

the team in San Francisco identified

the “critical loads” – the lights,

appliances, phone charging stations,

and other absolutely necessary

items that would require power in

the case of an outage.

The project, “Solar + Storage for

Resiliency,” is intended to serve as a

national model, so that other cities

and counties can more easily

integrate solar and energy storage

into their emergency response

plans. SFE developed a Road Map

and a Best Practices Guide, with

lessons learned geared toward other

municipalities interested in energy

resilience.

The project also includes

SolarResilient.org, a web-based tool

that estimates both the solar and

battery energy storage system size

29

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

and physical space that would be

needed to meet the critical load of a

facility. The tool is designed for

building owners, energy profession-

als, and city departments to develop

equipment sizing and get an idea of

the physical space necessary before

embarking on more detailed studies.

“For many resource-strapped

cities, it can be an expensive and

time-consuming process of reviews,

approvals and RFIs just to get an

idea whether such systems are

suitable. The tool eliminates that

step,” says Jessica Tse, Distributed

Energy Resource Coordinator for

SFE.

The tool, which is free at

SolarResilient.org, does not require

solar expertise, and can be used for

any building or facility type any-

where in the country.

While San Francisco has backup

generators at some critical facilities,

Tse points out some major draw-

backs with diesel and gas. “Diesel

generators don’t provide any

benefits during normal operation.

They can be noisy and polluting, and

of course they don’t work without

fuel, and fuel supplies are often

interrupted during a disaster,” she

says. “Plus, they are so seldom used

that they often don’t get main-

tained, and then they don’t start up

when needed.”

“On the contrary, on-site solar

paired with batteries can provide

power over an extended period in

the event of an emergency, but also

help meet daily power needs,” adds

Gallotta.

Many buildings in San Francisco

have solar, but practically none are

able to “island,” to operate during

grid outages using battery storage.

By studying how to integrate both

solar and storage as a package, San

Francisco can build on progress to

provide greater energy resilience.

City University of

New York (CUNY)

New York City is also advancing

rapidly with solar, with over 100

megawatts deployed in the five

boroughs and more under develop-

ment. Both the city and state of

New York have aggressive clean

energy and climate reduction goals,

and are seeing rapid growth of solar.

But like San Francisco, most of

that solar is not equipped with smart

inverters and storage capacity,

leaving the city unable to harness

this power during emergencies and

blackouts. When Hurricane Sandy hit

five years ago, the 672 solar arrays

in New York City at that time were

unable to provide power during the

outage, according to Sustainable

CUNY’s NYC Solar Ombudsman.

CUNY’s own facilities were used

as emergency shelters for almost a

third of the city’s 9,000 evacuees.

But like other facilities in the city,

they faced fuel shortages that

affected vehicles, backup genera-

tors, and buildings.

“Solar could have been used to

help power critical loads across the

five boroughs on the sunny days

during the blackout – and storage

could have helped around the clock,”

according to Tria Case, University

Director of Sustainability and Energy

Conservation for CUNY.

Now with more than 12,000

solar installations and growing,

attention is shifting to storage. “We

are working on a streamlined path

for storage as well, so New Yorkers

have more resilient energy options,”

says Case.

Hurricane Sandy showed the

importance of integrating distrib-

uted generation and storage into

emergency and resiliency planning,

spurring Sustainable CUNY to

convene a “Smart DG Hub” for local,

regional and federal agencies and

stakeholders.

The collaborative worked to

streamline costs and create scal-

able, replicable models for commu-

nities across the country. CUNY

created a set of reports and

factsheets for installers, utilities,

policymakers, and consumers about

resilient hardware and design and

the economics of solar+storage

systems.

In 2017, Sustainable CUNY

released the New York City Resilient

Solar Roadmap – a five- to seven-

year strategic plan addressing issues

around hardware, software,

economics and policy. In NYC, the

most significant barrier to solar-plus

projects has been permitting.

Because batteries are a new

technology, it was unclear which

agencies needed to issue permits

and what the permit requirements

would be.

To help clarify the process, CUNY

produced a permitting and intercon-

nection guide for storage systems.

“We see the guide as a vital first

step. However, our work is ongoing,”

says Case. “Permitting agencies, fire

departments and the industry

needed a framework to be able to

understand this continually evolving

technology field, and that’s why

CUNY, as an objective and trusted

third party, leads these efforts.”

CUNY is working with local

officials to implement streamlined

permitting under a grant from the

state office of energy research,

NYSERDA.

They are also expanding an

online software tool, the NY Solar

Map and Portal, to show current

solar+storage installations in the

city, and ideal locations for new

systems to maximize the resilience

continued on page 30

Energy Resilience in San

Francisco and New Yorkcontinued from page 28

30

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

benefits. An additional online

calculator will analyze critical loads

for residential consumers and

provide a “first-floor” estimate of

project size and cost.

In both New York and San

Francisco, creating detailed strate-

gies has led to a clearer roadmap on

Energy Resilience in San

Francisco and New Yorkcontinued from page 29

A t least four times a year,

the IAEM Bulletin pub-

lishes a special focus issue

on a selected topic of interest to

emergency managers. The other

eight issues include articles on a

variety of topics of interest to EM

professionals.

June 2018 IAEM Bulletin

Copy Deadline: May 21, 2018

“Cybersecurity”

Articles might include, but are

not limited to: Cybersecurity 101

about securing your own security

and how you protect your own

assets; how you incorporate

cybersecurity into your CEMP/EOP; a

discussion of available Internet

resources; how to coordinate

cybersecurity among your response

team; how to protect information in

your EOC; preparing for

Upcoming IAEM Bulletin Special Focus Issues

cybersecurity incidents, vulnerabili-

ties and risks associated with IOT

(Internet of Things – including AV

systems, HVAC, remote sensors,

etc.), best practices for designing

and conducting cybersecurity

exercises.

August 2018 IAEM Bulletin

Copy Deadline: July 10, 2018

“Climate Change: An

Emerging Threat” 

Articles might include, but are

not limited to: coastal mitigation;

increased needs for shelters (heating

shelters, cooling shelters); how

adaptation to climate change is

defined; demographic changes;

immigration; U.S. federal govern-

ment website with resources on

climate change; NASA resources

with worldwide information avail-

able via database; global responses

to climate change/climate adapta-

tion, anticipated increase in

weather extremes, case studies.

October 2018 IAEM Bulletin

Copy Deadline: Sept. 10, 2018

“Opportunities & Innovations

in Emergency Management”

The last special focus issue in

October 2018 will be based on the

theme of the IAEM 2018 Annual

Conference & EMEX, “Opportunities

& Innovations in Emergency Man-

agement.” Your article should be

related in some way to the overall

conference theme. Get some tips on

the types of articles being sought at

www.iaem.com/Bulletin. p

the opportunities, costs and ben-

efits, and the policy and program

changes that will lead to deploy-

ment.

“We found out, yes, solar plus

energy storage at these facilities is

feasible,” says Jessie Denver of the

San Francisco Department of

Environment. “So now we need to

figure how we actually pay for the

projects and get them built.” p

Visit www.iaemstore.com, and shop for IAEM gear today –

New items are available now!Tour the IAEM Store to view and purchase IAEM logowear online. Items will ship within 7-12 days directly to you.

Browse available items to see an array of great styles and colors, in a full range of sizes. The IAEM logo – and

AEM®/CEM® logos for qualified individuals – can be added to men’s and women’s shirts, headwear, outerwear, bags,

and accessories.

iaem.com/CEM

31

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

June 4-7 20th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education

Symposium, FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute,

National Emergency Training Center, Emmitsburg, MD.

June 5-8 IAEM-Canada 2018 Emergency Management Leadership and

Innovation Conference, Calgary, AB, Canada.

June 13 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT, IAEM Certification Webinar Series:

Professional Contributions.”

June 12-13 Emergency Management Leaders Conference, Tampa, FL.

June 14 AEM®/CEM® Prep Course & Exam, Emergency Management

Leaders Conference, Tampa, FL.

June 26-29 2018 National Conference on Earthquake Engineering,

Los Angeles, CA.

June 27 7th Annual IAEM-USA Region 3 Symposium, Fairfax, VA.

July 8-11 Natural Hazards Center: 43rd Annual Natural Hazards and

Applications Workshop, Broomfield, CO.

July 9 AEM®/CEM® Prep Course & Exam, in conjunction with the

National Homeland Security Conference, New York, NY.

July 9-12 National Homeland Security Conference, New York, NY.

Oct. 19-24 IAEM 66th Annual Conference & EMEX: “Opportunities and

Oct. 31-

Nov. 1

Dec. 5-7

Innovations in Emergency Management,” Grand Rapids, MI,

www.iaemconference.info.

2018 Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Implementation

Workshop, Hong Kong. Co-sponsored by IAEM.

RES/Con New Orleans: Global Resilience Summit, New Orleans, LA.

EM CalendarVisit www.iaem.com/calendar for details on these and other events.

IAEM StaffChief Executive Officer

Elizabeth B. Armstrong, MAM, CAE

703-538-1795, ext. 8

armstrong@iaem.com

Deputy Executive Director

EMEX Exhibit Manager

Clay D. Tyeryar, MAM, CAE

703-538-1795, ext. 7

ctyeryar@iaem.com

Membership Manager/Registrar

Sharon Kelly

703-538-1795, ext. 1

info@iaem.com

Communications & Marketing

Manager

Scholarship Program Director

Dawn M. Shiley

703-538-1795, ext. 3

shiley@iaem.com

Certification Manager

Kate McClimans

703-538-1795, ext. 6

CEMinfo@iaem.com

Conference Manager

Julie Husk

703-538-1795, ext. 2

jhusk@iaem.com

IAEM-USA Director of

Government Affairs

Thad Huguley

615-870-9316

thad@iaem.com

Program Manager

Chelsea Firth

941-320-1258

chelsea@iaem.com

EMEX Sales

Mehdi Stambouli

703-538-1795, ext. 1708

mstambouli@iaem.com

IAEM Bulletin Editor

Website Content Manager

Karen Thompson

703-499-0441

thompson@iaem.com

IAEM Headquarters

201 Park Washington Court

Falls Church, VA 22046-4527

Phone: 703-538-1795

Fax: 703-241-5603

info@iaem.com | www.iaem.com

Need more info about staff?

Visit the IAEM Staff web page.iaemconference.info

32

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

2018 Certified Emergency Managers

Doris I. Barone, CEM – Richmond, CA

David J. Basnak, CEM – Lake City, PA

Tracy G. Bodily, CEM – Salt Lake City, UT

Hope M. Bresch-Stills, CEM – Stone Mountain, GA

Craig Buehrig, CEM – Falls Church, VA

Andrew K. Bumbak, CEM – Nokesville, VA

Christina E. Caffrey, CEM – Calgary, AB Canada

Bruce W. Clements, CEM – Leander, TX

Allison B. Cox, CEM – Alameda, CA

Brett Cross, CEM – Salt Lake City, UT

Ryan S. Cunningham, CEM – Columbus, OH

Jeremy DiGioia, CEM – APO, AE

Coby M. Duerr, CEM – Calgary, AB Canada

Julianne Ehlers, CEM – Vernal, UT

Wendy Ellis, CEM – Whitby, ON Canada

Rodney A. Grimsley, CEM – Woodlawn, TN

Jeremy L. Hirst, CEM – Wheaton, IL

Vladimir A. Ibarra, CEM – Providence, RI

Bradley V. Iverson, CEM – Las Vegas, NV

Joshua Kelly, CEM – Wilmington, DE

Sarah Kessler, CEM – Arlington, VA

Wesley S. Long, CEM – Kalispell, MT

Jenelle K. Masterson, CEM – Mountain View, CA

Michael Messina, CEM – Kaneohe, HI

Leigh Middleton, CEM – San Antonio, TX

Matthias R. Miziorko, CEM – Reisterstown, MD

Wade R. Parks, CEM - Austin, TX

Ryan K. Perkins, CEM – Pleasant View, UT

Joseph E. Reppucci, CEM – Wakefield, RI

Elizabeth R. Roberts, CEM – West Columbia, SC

Arthur Samaras, CEM – Long Valley, NJ

Tameka N. Sharp, CEM – Alexandria, VA

Olester L. Shipp, CEM – Helotes, TX

Scott R. Smith, CEM – Norfolk, VA

Christopher Stitt, CEM – Burke, VA

Shawn G. Talmadge, CEM – Midlothian, VA

Dennis VanNatta, CEM – Scotch Plains, NJ

Gregory J. Walsh, CEM – Braintree, MA

Jonathan M. Wiggins, CEM – Kingwood, TX

2018 Associate Emergency Managers

Freddie Bizzell, Jr., AEM – Stafford, VA

Anthony G.B. Cockett, AEM – Calgary, AB Canada

Nicholas L. DuBose, AEM – Lakeland, FL

Roger Ebner, AEM – Rio Rancho, NM

Colton Engel, AEM – Benton, AR

Mark Hughes, AEM – Miami, FL

CEM® and AEM® Certifications and Recertifications

Christine Kruse, AEM – North Miami Beach, FL

Liz Lahm, AEM – St. Louis, MO

Kyle S. Lopez, AEM – Greenwood Village, CO

Nubia A. Mendoza, AEM – San Francisco, CA

Michael C. Mulla, AEM – Austin, TX

Kamaljit Singh, AEM – Tinton Falls, NJ

Michael E. Smiley, AEM – St. Louis, MO

Ashley M. Sperry, AEM – El Paso, TX

Steve Swift, AEM – St. Louis, MO

2018 Lifetime Certified Emergency Managers

Donald McLellan, CEM – Waterford, MI

Certified Emergency Managers(Upgraded from Associate Emergency Manager)

Mary M. Camin, CEM – Las Vegas, NV (Class of 2014)

Melissa Newcity, CEM – Fulshear, TX (Class of 2017)

2017 Recertification Class

Mariah A. Armitage, CEM – McKinney, TX

Mark H. Armstrong, CEM – San Ramon, CA

Meredith Austin, CEM – Portsmouth, VA

Geoffrey C. Bartlett, AEM – Medford, MA

De’Anna Lynn Belgio, CEM – Old Bridge, NJ

Jeff Burkett, CEM – Alexandria, VA

Thomas J. Carey, III, CEM – New City, NY

Jody W. Carter, CEM – Little Rock, AR

Carlos J. Castillo, CEM – Coral Gables, FL

John B. Cook, CEM – Lincoln, NE

Chance D. Corbett, CEM – Seale, AL

Henry P. Cortacans, CEM – Lawrenceville, NJ

Nicholas Crossley, CEM – Cincinnati, OH

Shahin Daneshkhah, CEM – Gilbert, AZ

Aldo M. Davila, CEM – Atlanta, GA

Ashley H. Davis, CEM – Tallahassee, FL

Denise Davis, CEM – Buena Park, CA

Robin P. Davis, CEM – Katy, TX

Steven M. Donahoo, CEM – Jefferson Valley, NY

Robin Ebmeyer, CEM – Orem, UT

Edward C. Frank, AEM – New York, NY

George T. Glazner, CEM – Chesapeake, VA

Tyra L. Gore, CEM – Atlanta, GA

Amy Grzybowski, CEM – Westerly, RI

Gina M. Hardin, CEM – Burlington, IA

Patrick Hardy, CEM – Sacramento, CA

Dee Harrison, CEM – Austin, TX

continued on page 33

Approved During January and March 2018 Review Meetings (as of April 2018)

33

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

Amanda Herbert, CEM – Wiarton, ON Canada

Pam Hobbs, CEM – Hanover, MD

Patrick Holland, CEM – Glen Allen, VA

Brock Holowachuk, CEM – Oakbank, MB Canada

Nicolette Janoski, CEM – Fort Worth, TX

Dave L. Jeffries, AEM – Cotati, CA

Kristine Kaus, CEM – Brooklyn Park, MN

James D. Kelley, CEM – Luling, La

Edward Klima, CEM – Newark, DE

Deborah K. Knickerbocker, CEM – Lewes, DE

William T. Litton, CEM – Sanford, FL

Joseph S. Lombardo, CEM – Boise, ID

Raymond B. Lowe, CEM – Smithfield, VA

Susanne Mackinnon, CEM – New Westminster, BC Canada

Lanita L. Magee, CEM – Flower Mound, TX

Maribel Martinez, CEM – Burleson, TX

Michael Roy Mason, CEM – Pasadena, TX

Larry W. Masterman, CEM – Weaverville, CA

Gerald M. Mcateer, CEM – Annville, PA

C. Kent McKenzie, CEM – Lindenhurst, IL

Paul D. Meek, CEM – Plant City, FL

Steven W. Mehl, CEM – Paramus, NJ

Christopher P. Michel, CEM – Charlotte, NC

Frank P. Mineo, CEM – Bethel, CT

Julian K. Muhammad, CEM – Washington, DC

Alex J. Naar, CEM – Washington, DC

Deborah Needham, CEM – Renton, WA

Robert Newsad, CEM – Nashville, TN

Timothy W. Ocnaschek, CEM – Beaumont, TX

Patrick M. O’Toole, CEM – Phoenix, AZ

William H. Pepler, Jr., CEM – Scottsdale, AZ

Alfred E. Piombino, CEM – Poughkeepsie, NY

Michael J. Riedy, CEM – Bothell, WA

Kenneth C. Rondello, CEM – Garden City, NY

Lorenzo D. Sanchez, CEM – San Antonio, TX

Pam Schultz, CEM – Edina, MN

JoAnn Scordino, CEM – Oakland, CA

Martha “Marty” D. Shaub, CEM – Salt Lake City, UT

Kenneth A. Shaw, CEM – Hillsborough, NC

Brian K. Short, CEM – Henderson, NC

Brad S. Simpkins, CEM – Coppell, TX

Manuel D. Soto, CEM – Orlando, FL

Terry L. Street, CEM – Ellicott City, MD

Kent L. Studnicka, CEM – Oak Forest, IL

Jeremy D. Swartz, AEM – Sacramento, CA

Jarred R. Thomas, CEM – Georgetown, TX

Howard D. Thompson, Jr., CEM – San Antonio, TX

Rinda E. Tisdale, CEM – Lakewood, CO

Ernest G. Vendrell, CEM – Weston, FL

Ed Ward, CEM – Lake City, FL

William Russ Webster, CEM – Cape Elizabeth, ME

Dave Weidner, CEM – Hamilton, NJ

Karen D. Wilson, CEM – Columbia, MD

Ruben Winston Shields, AEM – Chattanooga, TN

Amanda Witt, CEM – Alexandria, VA

2018 Recertification Class

Leslie C. Apple, CEM – Beaumont, TX

Martin Boyle, CEM – Blackmans Bay Australia

Donald L. Broughton, CEM – Baton Rouge, LA

Cullen Case, Jr., CEM – Minneapolis, MN

Michael R. Charter, CEM – Spokane, WA

Robert Aubrey Cheatham, CEM – Brookneal, VA

Len E. Clark, CEM – Pitman, NJ

Amy Cornell-Titcomb, CEM – Salt Lake, UT

Paul Cull, CEM – Addington, Christchurch New Zealand

W. Kirk Driver, CEM – Fort Worth, TX

Judson M. Freed, CEM – St. Paul, MN

Jamie L. Galloway, CEM – Nassau Bay, TX

Greg J. Garrison, CEM – Universal City, TX

Jennifer H. Garrison, CEM – Tucson, AZ

Robert D. Girard, CEM – Scottsdale, AZ

Brian A. Gottschall, CEM – Reading, PA

Christy Hardin, CEM – Mentone, AL

Thad Hicks, CEM – Circleville, OH

Bart Howard, CEM – APO, AP

James M. Kendra, CEM – Newark, DE

Michelle Kimball, CEM – Santa Maria, CA

Heather M. Kostecki, CEM – Chesapeake, VA

Mark R. Landahl, CEM – New Market, MD

Christian M. Lanphere, CEM – Woburn, MA

Nicholas A. Lowe, CEM – Monrovia, CA

Robert T. McGowen, CEM – Bentonville, AR

Gary L. McKay, CEM – Munster, IN

Sarah K. Miller, CEM – Auburn, WA

James H. Murphy, CEM – Anderson, SC

Joshua L. Roberts, CEM – Lewisville, TX

Nicholas A. Robison, CEM – Plano, TX

David Shaw, CEM – Liberty Hill, TX

Ricky L. Shellenbarger, CEM – Wichita, KS

Carrie L. Speranza, CEM – Springfield, VA

Lourinda R. Willey, CEM – Frisco, TX

2019 Recertification Class

Mark F. Demski, CEM – Ft. Myers, FL

Jeffrey M. Emmons, CEM – Yakima, WA

Justin T. Mammen, CEM – Santa Ana, CA

Patrick Massey, CEM – Seattle, WA

2020 Recertification Class

Robyn M. Heibert, CEM – Mississauga, ON Canada

Certifications and Recertifications

continued from page 32

34

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

New IAEM Members: Mar. 16-Apr. 15, 2018

continued on page 35

IAEM-ASIA

Taifu Kuo

New Taipei City, Taiwan

Chin-Hung Lin

Taipei, Taiwan

IAEM-CANADA

Bronwyn E. Taylor

Edmonton, AB

Bruce E. MacDonald

Sydney, NS

Patrick McQuarrie

Amherst, NS

Dennis W. Oxner

Liverpool, NS

Tim J. Wakfer, CD, B.A.

Fall River, NS

Arthur N. Kotze

Richmond, BC

Roger K. McKellar

White Rock, BC

Michelle Papas

Surrey, BC

Dr. Mark Seemann

Victoria, BC

Derek O'Rourke

Toronto, ON

Mesha Richard

Maple, ON

Rachel Nielsen

Montreal, QC

IAEM-INTERNATIONAL

Clare Wait

Qatar

IAEM-OCEANIA

Kathleen J. Crawford

Penrose, Auckland,

New Zealand

Murray Halbert

Dunedin, New Zealand

Mark D. Owens

Maies, Wodonga,

Australia

Debbie J. Wing

Wellington, New Zealand

IAEM-USA

IAEM-USA Region 1

Pamela M. Baskowski

Hartford, CT

David J. Coffey

Brookline, NH

Wesley Miller

Grantham, NH

IAEM-USA Region 2

Jeremy R. Aiello

Rome, NY

Sarah Alley

Egg Harbor Twp, NJ

Steven G. Cicala

Belleville, NJ

Colonel Scott W.

Heintzelman

Columbus, NJ

Michael J. Marsh, CEM

Rochelle Park, NJ

John T. Meehan

Lake Ronkonkoma, NY

Jonathan P. Pistilli

Staten Island, NY

Mark Techmanski

Liverpool, NY

Lawrence M. Zacarese

Stony Brook, NY

IAEM-USA Region 3

Dorian Amstel

Sterling, VA

Jeffrey Baird

Philadelphia, PA

Richard L. Chapman 

Washington, DC

Edward A. Crossman

Bear, DE

Joseph F. Dinga

Lanham, MD

William P. Flinter

Millersville, MD

Richard R. Garey

State College, PA

Kim Gott

Prince Frederick, MD

Natalie J. Graver

Arlington, VA

Wade B. Haubert Jr.

Bethlehem, PA

David C. Long

Chesapeake, VA

Justin T. McGinley

Arlington, VA

James Smith

Fairfax, VA

Dean R. Trombley

New Market, MD

Karim Trueblood

Arlington, VA

Christopher J. Watson

New Market, MD

Jessica Wisecup

Norfolk, VA

Amit Zigelman

Alexandria, VA

IAEM-USA Region 4

Courtney Aldridge

Decatur, GA

Kelly M. Bailey

Greensboro, NC

Benjamin W. Bellucci

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Joshua D. Boyd

Taylors, SC

Laurie Burcham

Smithville, TN

Samantha Cato

Phenix City, AL

William F. Ford III

Palm Bay, FL

Dr. Hudson Garrett Jr.

Atlanta, GA

35

IAEM Bulletin May 2018

New Members

continued from page 34

Christopher Todd

Miami Beach, FL

Edwin J. Vargas

Bal Harbour, FL

Oliver Yao

Orlando, FL

IAEM-USA Region 5

Steven Belau

Rochester, MN

Heather M. Costa

Akron, OH

Nicholas Countouris

Aurora, IL

Nate T. Hull

Medina, OH

Benjamin I. Koel

Janesville, WI

Rebecca A. Kumar

Gurnee, IL

Margot Lee

North Canton, OH

Dr. David P. Milen, PhD

Saint John, IN

Bradford K. Smith

Janesville, WI

IAEM-USA Region 6

Preston G. Bates

Shreveport, LA

Wynn Brannin

Santa Fe, NM

Joel Holmes

Houston, TX

Samuel J. Iacullo

Lewisville, TX

Linda G. James

Baton Rouge, LA

Frank J. Marcopolos

Austin, TX

Robert S. Mollohan

Temple, TX

Elliott J. Reep

Carrollton, TX

Clay S. Rives

Baton Rouge, LA

Darcee K. Smith

Baton Rouge, LA

Harry St. Pierre

Baton Rouge, LA

Sara N. Williams

Sington, TX

William C. Wilson

Galveston, TX

Tara L. Zachary

Baton Rouge, LA

IAEM-USA Region 7

Jennifer Love

Lees Summit, MO

IAEM-USA Region 8

Robert A. Johnson III

Box Elder, SD

Shawn Mallet

Parker, CO

Reese S. Martin

Helena, MT

Dr. Steven A. Thompson

Fargo, ND

IAEM-USA Region 9

Ryan Y. Chan

Monterey Park, CA

Laura C. Douglass

Vacaville, CA

Bruce Gadbois, CEM

San Luis Obispo, CA

Dinh Nguyen

Laguna Niguel, CA

Michelle N. Peeples

Orange, CA

Adam Saurin

Los Angeles, CA

IAEM-USA Region 10

Jay D. Gautney

McMinnville, OR

Chris J. Johnson

Auburn, WA

Octavia Jones

APO, AE

Regina J. Martinez

Newport, OR

Jeri A. Hendershot

Tavares, FL

Marc C. Jean

Pompano Beach, FL

Tonika S. Johnson

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Laurence H. LaHue

Daytona Beach, FL

Mercedes K. Laney

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Lisa A. Lawrence

Cocoa, FL

Maggie R. Loutzenhiser

Altamonte Springs, FL

Megan M. McConnell

Means, KY

Napoleon I. Onyechi

Kissimmee, FL

Evan G. Rosenberg

Tallahassee, FL

Jacqueline Saccamano

Orlando, FL

Penni J. Saginario

Orlando, FL

Joshua G. Shore

Anderson, SC

James N. Skinner

Coral Gables, FL

Williams G. Tarazona

Miami, FL

Lea E. Tardanico

Miami, FLwww.iaem.com/Scholarships