FEMA Independent Study Courses - Michael Gates

FEMA Independent Study Courses
http://training.fema.gov/IS


Three Rivers Community College
http://www.trcc.commnet.edu

http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/Cont_Ed/Emergency%20Management%20Certificate%20%20NEW%20Curriculum.pdf

http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/Cont_Ed/CE-Spring2008.pdf


Pickering Institute
http://pi.edu

http://pi.edu/academics/emergencymanagement.htm


emergencymanagementstudy.com
http://www.emergencymanagementstudy.com/content/default.asp


Fredrick Community College
http://www.frederick.edu

http://www.frederick.edu/programCourses/ems/index.cfm?documentid=411


Clackamas Community College
http://depts.clackamas.edu/crimjust/intro.htm


Guam Community College
http://hiresteve.com/misc/guamflyer.pdf


Thomas Edison State College
www.tesc.edu
Accepted my FEMA courses for credit. First used credit bank.

Excelsior
www.excelsior.edu
Transfered my FEMA credit from my TESC transcript to my Excelsior transcipt.
Others report trouble in getting cooperation for this from Excelsior.

 

Hey Michael, I haven't seen you around for a while!

Excelsior: EC has changed its policies regarding FEMA. It no longer acepts FEMA credit through TESC. FEMA credit must come through FCC.

Pickering Institute: PI is not accredited. To be specific, it is accredited by ACCS, which is not recognized by CHEA.

Guam: I sent an email off to GCC a few days ago asking if they, like FCC, offer a FEMA transcription service for nonmatriculated students. No one has responded.

Three Rivers: This certificate program looks interesting. Am I reading it correctly in that the college does not offer a full degree with the FEMA credits, only a certificate?


On another note, I want to express my appreciation for kind of pioneering the FEMA/College Credit process. The knowledge you shared has significantly accelerated my degree path and has equally reduced the cost. Many blessings on you head, sir!

Pug

 

Pug,

What would be the advantage of having the FEMA credits transcripted by anyone other than FCC? I could see it only if the school in which you are already enrolled would transcript the credits.

 

There may be no advantage at all since most of the colleges I have spoken to recognize only FCC as the credit granting authority. That said, other institutions may accept the Guam transcriptions since it, like FCC, is a regionally accredited college with an emergency management program. For example, Excelsior was accepting Clackamas (sp?) transcriptions for a while and I believe some schools out there still do. The problem is getting the receiving college to undertand that FCC does not have an exclusive arrangement with FEMA. FEMA provides the courses and FCC grants college credit for those courses. Any college could do that.

Pug

 

Fredrick costs a lot of money.

Using sources other than Fredrick can have advantages, such as cost savings and better name value.

Advantages
* Taking FEMA courses can count as federal military retirement points.
* Transcripting FEMA courses at any accredited college for college credits can be used for military promotional consideration.
* Some civilian jobs require that you have so much college in any area, from any accredited college for job promotion.
* Emergency management/emergency services jobs will not likely care one bit which accredited college you got the credits with a they will know the material behind it.

I have my FEMA courses transcribed at TESC and Excelsior. I keep hearing many saying that Excelsior will not accept a TESC transcript with FEMA courses. I have yet to see anyone get a written policy rule form Excelsior on this. It is mostly likely bad employeee trying to get out of something they do not understand and denying this on their own. When Excelsior first turned me down I explain to them what they were doing and how refusing the credits could affect their accredition. The person got scared and kicked it upstairs and it was approved.

I has someone recently write me and tell me that Excelior told them that no one had ever transcripted FEMA course at TESC, then transfered them to Excelsior. I have my own documented transcript to know that person from Excelsior was wrong. It is just a matter of time before Fredrick will loose it grip. We need to maintain a list of all colleges that have trancripted FEMA courses and be prepared as it grows, to send it to every college that doesnt understand that any college can give college credit for FEMA courses.

If you are going to get the FEMA courses on a transcript in the future anywhere other than Fredrick (for a lot of money), I would advise saving copies of all the website and publications mentioned here so copies can be sent as needed.

 

Three Rivers Community College

Three Rivers Community College
http://www.trcc.commnet.edu

http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/Cont_Ed/Emergency%20Management%20Certificate%20%20NEW%20Curriculum.pdf

http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/Cont_Ed/CE-Spring2008.pdf


The Three Rivers Community College program look new from what little I can see, It might be a good idea for some interested in getting FEMA credits transcribed to write them and outline what other colleges are doing and what we would like to see them do in this area.

The same goes for Guam Community College, which at least one has started doing, but might be better supported by many writing in the future, even if the first response back is negative or confusing.

I will look back to this subject every now and then, but my future plans are mostly for graduate credits to be earned.

 

Michael,

I rcently spoke with an academic advisor at Excelsior and was told "no" regarding EC's acceptence of FEMA credit from TESC. I then spoke to a supervisor and explained the whole situation. I was told the following,"Excelsior used to accept FEMA credit from multiple sources including TESC, Frederick Community College, and Clackamas Comunity College. We now only accept the credit if transcripted by FCC." I'll grant you that I did not receive it in writing, but it was a very extensive conversation with a supervisor, who gave me a very detailed response. That said, I would never discourag anyone from trying.

Pug

 

Could someone educate me as to why it is not desireable to just get the degree from TESC? It does not appear to be that difficult to get an emergency/disaster management BA degree from TESC with the FEMA IS courses and other transfer credit. Is it a cost issue? Just curious.

 

Good question. I do not have an aswer for you...LOL It is a very good question though. Hopefully someone here might be able to shed some light on it.

 

I tried to get into the emergency/disaster management BA degree and kept being told that I had to be in an emergency management job to enter the program. I was quailified on paper and in life, but the person assigned to make the decesion didn't know what they were doing, and wouldn't approve my entry into the program.

I knew when I told the person at TESC about my background in emergency management and they had no idea what the Incident Command System was, they wern't worth my time. I decided to quit fighting with them and get a degree in criminal justice at Excelsior and then do the Masters in Emergency Managment at American Military Univerity. It will be more a benefit for what I want in life to have the criminal justice bachelors and the masters in emergency management.

I have hated any contact with TESC other than the Credit Bank. Other than the TESC Credit Bank, I may not do anything ever again with TESC and Excelsior, ass they have both been a lot of trouble to deal with.

 

Understandable on the frustration aspect. I was under the impression that one could fulfil all of the degree requirements with FEMA IS and other transfer credit, so would there be any "entry into the program" if all the requirements are complete when you enter TESC?

 

Thomas Edsion State College

http://www.tesc.edu/2090.php

"The Bachelor of Science in Human Services (BSHS) degree program in Emergency Disaster Services is designed for emergency responders and emergency planners from the public and private sector, including voluntary agencies. To complete the Advanced Level Practicum, students must have current work experience in the emergency disaster services field."

If the untrained person assigned to you doesn't understand how your job is related to the emergency disaster services field, you do not get into the program, even if you have a credit bank account full of courses needed to complete the degree, currently hold several positions in the emergency management/emergency services field, been an EMT, Hazmat Technician, Military Police, Search & Rescue trained, done thousands of hours of training, etc.

 

Do you ever think about the fact that many of those who make decisions at TESC and Excelsior, as to whether or not to accept credits you submit and place them on your transcript, probably do not have degrees themselves, and do not know the journey firsthand?

 

That just completely baffles me. If someone with your credentials couldn't get into that program because a person at TESC couldn't understand that you were eligible then he/she needs to be fired.

 

If the untrained person assigned to you does not understand, is there some way to indicate to his/her superiors that the person does not have the proper headspace and timing to be making those types of decisions?

The practicum requirement still does not seem like an insurmountable obstacle to me - someone could join a CERT, Red Cross, etc. if for only long enough to to check the experience block at application time. That type of experience is going to be needed down the road anyway if a career in EM is the goal.

A degree in EM only makes up a portion of the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) credentialing system and the requirment is not even for an EM specific degree. Experience in the field and professional contributions make up a substantially more significant impact in the CEM process. The CEM will get someone much farther in the field than a degree specifically in EM will. I have completed the CEM application process (waiting on decision) and it was a significant undertaking.

I do appreciate all of your posts on the FEMA IS to credit process since I have been a member here - you have done a great service for many on this board.

 

I emailed Three Rivers Community College about the Emergency Management Certificate and asked if you could complete the certificate online. The response I got was that they have no residency requirement. I also asked if I could get the FEMA courses on a transcript. They do not transcript (give credit) FEMA courses, but the continuing education department will keep a record of your certificate. See their response below:



This certificate does not have a residency requirement so courses from another college/university may apply to the certificate and really you would not have to take any from Three Rivers.

I have included the list of courses required for your review, there are 10 FEMA courses required. These are offered free on-line from EMI. Please note the “or” in the list of courses, i.e. Security Admin. or Police Admin., or Fire Admin. etc. If you have credits from another college/university it is possible to do a course substitution if you have a related class.

List of FEMA courses from the attachment...FEMA Core
(Online from FEMA)

IS 700 National Incident Management System (NIMS)
IS 800 National Response Plan (NPR)
IS 546 Continuity of Operations (COOP)

And one of the three below:

IS 100 Intro. to Incident Command
or
IS 100 LE Intro. to Incident Command for Law Enforcement
or
IS 100 PW Intro. to Incident Command for Public Works

Options

Emergency Management Emergency Volunteer

IS 139 Exercise Design* IS 7 Citizens Guide to Disaster Assistance
IS 230 Principles of Emergency Mgt.* IS 22 An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness
IS 235 Emergency Planning* IS 120 Orientation to Community Disaster Exercises
IS 241 Decision Making Problem Solving* IS 288 Role of Vol. Agencies in Emergency Mgt.
IS 242 Effective Communication* IS 292 Disaster Basics
IS 240 Leadership and Influence* IS 317 Intro. to Community Response Teams

Upon completion of all items with an * FEMA will issue a certificate of Professional Development


There would not be a standard college transcript as such, there would be a record in the continuing education department that would show you had competed the requirements for the certificate and that the certificate was awarded. If you took any courses on-line or independent study with us those would be on a regular college transcript.

 

I see. So no college level credit is actually awarded, just CEU credit. That's interesting. Sounds like a low or no cost way of adding a certification to your resume if you already have the academic requirements (english, communication, history, etc.) on a transcript that can transfer in.

Pug

 

FEMA's Professional Development Series Certificate

The FEMA's Professional Development Series Certificate is not college credit, but it does give you something that can be used for career purposes.

The Professional Development Series includes seven Emergency Management Institute independent study courses that provide a well-rounded set of fundamentals for those in the emergency management profession. Many students build on this foundation to develop their careers.

Students who complete all the courses will receive a PDS Certificate of Completion.

http://training.fema.gov/IS/searchIS.asp?keywords=PDS

http://training.fema.gov/IS/isfaqdetails.asp?id=30&cat=General%20Questions

When a student has completed all courses in the series, the Independent Study Program Office automatically issues a certificate of completion, via US Postal Service, directly to the student at the address that was provided during test submission.

I received my PDS certificate back in April 2004. The Advanced Series Certificate involves live classroom courses.

 

FEMA Disaster Action Kid Course

FEMA for Kids

I am a firm believer in actually reading and learning all the material in the FEMA Independent Study courses. With that said, here is a free, non-college credit course for your kids from FEMA, complete with a certificate. It may get you children ready for that unexpected disaster.

http://www.fema.gov/kids

http://www.fema.gov/kids/dizkid1.htm

Adults may enjoy it too.

 

Guam / Marianas Variety

Emergency management program launched

By Zita Y. Taitano
Variety News Staff

FIRST responders seeking an associate's degree or certificate in emergency management will be able to do so at the Guam Community College.

Guam Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Defense, in conjunction with GCC, has developed an associate's degree and certificate program dealing solely with emergency management. Guam Homeland Security spokesperson Lesley Leon Guerrero said the agency began work on the concept when Sen. Frank Blas Jr. (R-Barigada) was in charge.

The program focuses mainly on effectively managing and mitigating emergency and disaster incidents.

Leon Guerrero said it was becoming too costly to send first responders off island and decided it was high time a program was offered locally. The emergency management program is already making its mark, she added, because it has not been implemented in any other institution other than GCC.

"Guam Community College will be the first college in the region to offer the course," she said.

The program will be officially launched tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the Governor's large conference room at Adelup.

Meanwhile, GCC is accepting students for the degree and certificate program through the Office of Continuing Education.

Students can also complete free independent study courses online through the Emergency Management Institute. The technical course requirements are available at http://training.fema.gov/IS/. The credits are transferable to GCC, however, students will also need to complete general education courses at the college in order to complete the program.

http://www.mvariety.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=8605&format=html

also...

http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080319/NEWS01/803190319/1002/NEWS01