To be eligible to take the exam, a student must complete the following:

*This course requires the online prerequisites of "Damage Assessment for Emergency Operations Center Staff" and "Damage Assessment Teams."
 
Independent Study Program Administrative Information
These courses are available on  FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Web site.   Most courses can be completed in approximately four hours and can be taken 24 hours a day.  Upon successful completion of course and examination, the student is awarded a certificate via e-mail.  Please retain all of your certificates which you will be required to show to the classroom instructor. 

Due to the developing environment of incident management, FEMA's Independent Study courses may be added, changed, or dropped from the Web site at any time.  If you have questions about unavailable courses, please contact  T&E Section.

Upon completing the independent studies required for the PEM exam, students will automatically be awarded a certificate from FEMA for the Emergency Management Institute's  Professional Development Series (PDS).   Students are strongly encouraged to take all required IS courses before beginning classroom training.

MSP/EMHSD Classroom Courses
Classroom courses offered by the MSP/EMHSD consist of instructor-lead discussions, group activities, and case studies taken directly from current threats or events in Michigan and nationwide.  To better meet the needs of incident managers, the MSP/EMHSD strives to continually update and modify courses with current information.

Classroom courses are offered in Lansing, unless otherwise noted.  Many courses contain an evaluated activity or examination.  Courses taught in the field are the result of a request by local emergency management program(s) and are referred to as "outreach." 

Notification of acceptance will be sent approximately three weeks prior to class.  Please read this notification carefully as it will provide information concerning course prerequisites, location, and times.  Due to high demand for training, an acceptance priority system is in place which allows for state and local emergency responders to be accepted prior to applicants involved in other phases of Incident Management.  For more information, contact the  T&E Section.  

Failure to withdraw yourself from an accepted class within the MiTrain system may jeopardize your subsequent class admission.  Occasionally, a class may need to be cancelled due to disaster activity, low enrollment or changes in federal guidance, etc.  If a course must be cancelled, staff will make every attempt to contact all participants prior to the class and reschedule if possible.  If class is cancelled on the morning it is scheduled, a message will be left on the course manager's voice mail.  This contact number will be provided in the class acceptance notification.

Examination Information
To achieve the designation of a Professional Emergency Manager (PEM), students must achieve a score of 75 percent or greater on the final exam.  The exam is offered every year in January and September (see course schedule for dates).  Upon passing the exam, the participant will be awarded the Professional Emergency Manager designation, a certificate, and a pin.

• Eligible students wishing to be considered for the exam must submit a request on  MiTrain  a minimum of 30 days prior to the date of the examination.  Students will then be sent an application, which must be completed and mailed via the United States Postal Service as directed.
• Participants who have finished all but one required classroom course and still wish to be considered for the examination, may petition the PEM Board of Registration by formal request several months prior to the examination.  The T&E Section strongly encourages participants to take all the required coursework in their entirety, as you will be tested on all course materials. 
• After taking the exam, students will be notified by phone and letter about their individual results.  If a student wishes to discuss individual concerns about the exam, they can request a meeting with the course manager.
• In past years, students have formed study groups to better prepare themselves for the examination.  This is an excellent way to review, as materials and concepts covered in the exam are extensive.  The MSP/EMHSD encourages students to use a study group; however, the Division does not conduct or actively participate in them.

Annual Training Requirements
To retain the status of PEM, an individual must submit an  Annual Training Form  to the T&E Section by January 31st documenting that 24 hours of training has been completed in the previous year.  In February, the forms are reviewed by the T&E Section personnel, and if approved, a letter is sent to the participant. 

Eligible training may consist of:

• Courses offered by the MSP/EMHSD (online and classroom based)
• FEMA Independent Studies or classroom courses ( 0.1 CEU = 1.0 PEM training hour)
• Local workshops and exercise activities
• University or college courses
• Participation in incident management conferences
• Other conferences, seminars, etc., on emergency management, homeland security, public health preparedness, risk management, business continuity, etc.
• Weather spotter classes and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) training

If you are unsure whether training is eligible, please contact the  T&E Section  further information. 

Note: Actual time served in disasters/emergencies is ineligible.

PEM Retired Status

PEMs who retire from the profession can still keep their status by completing the annual requirement, or apply to the PEM Board for a "PEM, (ret.)" status.

For more information on the training provided, the PEM program, or class content, please contact the T&E Section Secretary at 517.333.5034.