BACKGROUND The Association of State Floodplain
Managers has established a national program for professional certification of floodplain managers. The program recognizes
continuing education and professional development that enhance the knowledge and performance of local, state, federal, and
private-sector floodplain managers.
The role of the nation's floodplain managers is expanding due to increases
in disaster losses, the emphasis being placed upon mitigation to alleviate the cycle of damage-rebuild-damage, and a recognized
need for professionals to adequately address these issues. Floodplain managers come from a variety of curricula and backgrounds;
there is no college-level degree program for floodplain management. This certification program will lay the foundation for
ensuring that highly qualified individuals are available to meet the challenge of breaking the damage cycle and stopping its
negative drain on the nation's human, financial, and natural resources. The formation of a professional certification
program is recognized as an effective means to:
| Formalize a procedure to recognize and provide an incentive for individuals to
improve their knowledge of floodplain management concepts; | | Enhance individual professional development goals; |
| Promote an understanding of relevant subject matter that is consistent nationwide; |
| Convey new concepts and practices;
and
|
| Build partnerships among organizations
and agencies that share the goal of advancing sound floodplain management.
|
The primary goal of the ASFPM Certified Floodplain
Manager Program (CFM Program) is to help reduce the nation's flood losses and protect and enhance the natural and beneficial
functions of its floodplains by improving the knowledge and abilities of floodplain managers in the United States. This goal
will be achieved over time by:
| Encouraging self-study and attendance at training courses by requiring testing to obtain certification;
|
| Requiring continuing education as a condition for re-certification; and
| | Encouraging ASFPM chapters, state agencies, and state or regional associations to certify floodplain
managers based on specific knowledge of state and regional requirements and legislation. |
| Ensuring that CFM's have
an awareness not only of the NFIP, but of comprehensive floodplain management
|
A second goal of the CFM Program
is to increase the prominence of floodplain management in decision-making by local officials and the public. This goal will
be achieved on a larger scale and over a longer time frame by:
| Improving the recognition of floodplain management as a specific discipline;
|
| Increasing the status of floodplain managers as knowledgeable professionals in a complex and important
field;
|
| Providing greater credibility
and visibility for the profession;
|
| Increasing the educational and training opportunities for floodplain managers
through partnerships with other organizations, and
|
| Encouraging CFM's to contribute to the profession of floodplain management
for the betterment of the nation. |
CFM EXAMINATION INFORMATION | With today’s
world of floodplain management becoming more and more complex, being nationally certified will add credibility to world of
floodplain management, and will add even more credibility to you as a floodplain manager.
The Association of State Floodplain Managers has established
a national program for professional certification of floodplain managers. The program recognizes continuing education and
professional development that enhance the knowledge and performance of local, state, federal, and private-sector floodplain
managers. The Association of Montana Floodplain Managers is also encouraging this certification
program. This is a great program, of which you are encouraged to participate in.
You will also get a better discount if you are a member of the ASFPM. You can learn more by going
to the ASFPM website: www.floods.org |
|
