13 Becoming Certified

I think it was 2012 or so that the Red Cross decided to elevate the stature and professionalism of its disaster (mostly) paid staff workforce by creating its own certification program: their Certified Disaster Manager (CDM) credential. There was a set of criteria to complete, education to obtain (no college requirement), experience, etc. No exam, no expiration date, no continuing education requirement, and no fees. This CDM credential was eventually renamed the Certified Disaster Program Manager, but I do not know where this program is at, in terms of organizational recognition. No one outside of the Red Cross knows about it, I’m fairly confident in stating.

I became a Certified Disaster Manager in 2013. I still have the certificate hanging in my home office. When I mentioned this program to SS, he noted much of what I said above. Why put your eggs in a basket that has no outside value? He suggested I go for the Certified Emergency Manager™ from the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM®). That credential was much more complex, and took me four more years to finish. I became a CEM® in 2017, and renewed successfully in 2022. I am up again in 2027.

There are less than 3,000 CEM® holders around the world – it is not an easy ‘club’ to get into – but we are a tight group and really seek to help each other as much and as best we can. I hope someday to connect the Red Cross and the IAEM®-USA together in a partnership to cross-coordinate, cooperate, etc., and to bring the CEM® to the Red Cross to replace the CDPM.