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IPEM Renewal Application Process

 Download Renewal Application

Currently, each IPEM accreditation must be renewed every three years. During each three-year period of renewal, the applicant must address each of the following:​ 

Training Requirements

Successfully complete 72 hours of IEMA/FEMA/IESMA sponsored training and/or conferences. This could include successfully completed Independent Study (IS) courses from FEMA. Up to six IS courses, at two hours each, may be submitted for credit. Only those training completion certificates that are not currently listed on the applicant’s IEMA training transcript need to be included with the renewal application.

Petitions can be submitted to accept up to 36 hours of successfully completed training from other related agencies or con​ducting training for these other related agencies. These other related agencies could include, but are not limited to, the American Red Cross, National Weather Service, Salvation Army, US Military and the US Army Corps of Engineers. The applicant must submit the training objectives and agenda for the other related agencies training. The curriculum objectives and agenda must place heavy emphasis on issues relevant to emergency management and will be evaluated as such.

Successfully completed college level courses, including those emphasizing disaster/emergency management or management, homeland security or management-related, can also be used to meet up to 36 of the additional required hours. Please see the following scale:

​# of Semester Hours ​# of Additional Training Hours

​1

2

3

​12

24

36

The IPEM Renewal Application Form includes the current list of training requirements that have been revised since 2016 and must be successfully completed. These include: G/K 2300 (completion date of no earlier than 6/1/14) and EOP Development and Review. 

If a previously completed training requirement has been revised, a copy of the completion certificate for the revised course must be included with the IPEM Renewal application in the event that this course is not listed on the IEMA training transcript. These courses can be counted toward the 72 required training hours. All revised training requirements will be listed on the “Application Renewal” link every September following the IEMA Training Summit.

EXERCISE or REAL WORLD/PRE-PLANNED EVENT REQUIREMENTS

  • The list of approved exercise and real world/pre-planned event positions is included below. Please access the link to the position that you were assigned to view a drop-down box listing the required narrative information, exercise-related documents and verification letter.​

Exercise Director/Co-Director

Narrative:

Why were you selected? What was your previous experience/training relevant to this position? Did you choose this position or were you assigned? What do you feel you could have done to better prepare yourself for this position? If you were assigned to identify a person to fill this position in future exercises, what previous experience and/or training do you think would allow a person to be best prepared?

What was your involvement in determining the need for this exercise?

What entities were included on your exercise design team? What was your involvement and what were the selection criteria? What was your involvement in the selection of the controllers and evaluators and what were the selection criteria? What was your involvement in the selection of actors and what were the selection criteria? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on if you are involved in the selection of controllers, evaluators and actors in future exercises. Please explain your response.

What planning conferences/briefings were you involved with, or that you scheduled/conducted, and what was your role? Do you feel these were productive or could have been more productive and why you feel that way? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on if you are involved in conducting these planning conferences/briefings in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Describe your role in developing the exercise documents. Which specific documents were you involved with developing and what was your level of involvement? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on when developing these documents in future exercises. Describe your role during the exercise. Was there any interaction with the controllers, evaluators, members of the exercise design team or simulation cell? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on when interacting with those positions. Please explain your response.

Were you involved in the exercise Hot Wash? If so, what was your level of involvement? Were you involved in the development of the AAR/IP? If so, how did your involvement and guidance contribute to the completion of the AAR/IP? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on when conducting an exercise Hot Wash and developing AAR/IPs in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Identify any additional lessons that you learned as the Exercise Director/Co-Director that will allow you to improve your capabilities in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Documents:

Copies of the following documents should be included:

  • All pre-exercise documents, in HSEEP format, that the applicant was involved with developing.
  • AAR/IP using the HSEEP format.
  • Any other exercise-related documents appropriate for the applicant.
  • Letter from the jurisdiction conducting the exercise or IEMA regional/central staff verifying the exercise was conducted and that the applicant served in the position described.

Lead Evaluator

Beginning with the 2019 applications, those submitting the Lead Evaluator position will meet the following additional criteria: Being an active member of the exercise design team, identified in the exercise documents as the Lead Evaluator for the entire exercise and provide a detailed narrative how they selected, trained, coordinated, briefed and debriefed all additional evaluators.

Narrative:

Why were you selected? What was your previous experience/training relevant to this position? Did you choose this position or were you assigned? With the additional evaluators, what was your involvement in their selection and what were the selection criteria? What do you feel you could have done to better prepare you for this position? If you were assigned to identify a person to fill this position in future exercises, what previous experience and/or training do you think would allow a person to be best prepared?

What briefings were you involved with or that you scheduled/conducted and what was your role? With the additional evaluators, what process was used to assign what they were evaluating and what directions were they given? With the additional evaluators, were there any pre/post-exercise briefings conducted with them? If so, what was your role? Do you feel these were productive or could have been more productive? Please explain your response. Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on if you are involved in conducting these briefings in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Describe your role during the exercise. Was there any interaction with the controllers, evaluators, members of the exercise design team or the simulation cell? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on when interacting with those positions in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Were you involved in the exercise Hot Wash? If so, what was your level of involvement? Were you involved in the development of the AAR/IP? If so, how did your involvement and guidance contribute to the completion of the AAR/IP? How were the completed EEGs used in completing the AAR/IP?

Identify any additional lessons you learned as the Lead Evaluator that will allow you to improve your capabilities in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Documents:

Copies of the following documents should be included:

  • All HSEEP formatted documents that list the applicant as the Evaluator.
  • Letter from the Exercise Director/Co-Director or IEMA regional/central office staff verifying that the event took place and that the renewal applicant served in the position described.

Real World/Pre-Planned Event-Emergency Operations Center Management Level Position

Narrative:

Provide a brief description of the event. Describe why an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was established. Identify the entities that responded. Were there any other entities that should have responded? Please explain your response. What is the location of the EOC? What were the benefits of this location? Please explain your response. What were the challenges of this location and why? Were there any attempts made during the event to address any of the challenges?

Identify the EOC position that you held. Why were you selected? What is your previous experience/training relevant to this position?

What was the timeline of the event? At what time during the event were you assigned your position? Were you assigned this position for the entire event or were there shift changes? What did you feel your strengths were going into the event? Please explain your response. What did you feel your challenges were going into the event? Please explain your response. Were you able to improve on any of your challenges? If so, how?

What was the schedule for briefings? Who provided the brief? Would you have used a different schedule and why? What was your involvement in developing the content for the briefings? Following the briefings, were you responsible for forwarding the information? If so, why and to whom? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on if you are asked to develop briefings during future EOC activations. Please explain your response.

What were the timelines for the operational periods and why were they used? Would you have used different periods? If so, why?

Were situation reports (SitReps) developed? If so, who was responsible for developing the SitReps and what was your involvement in the development? If not, what other management documents were used to document the jurisdictions current status and projected priorities? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on if you are asked to develop a SitRep or the other EOC-related documents during future EOC activations. Please explain your response.

Was there an AAR/IP developed? If so, what was your involvement? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on in case you are asked to take the lead in developing an AAR/IP following future real world/pre-planned events. Please explain your response.

Identify any additional lessons you learned during the event that will allow you to improve your capabilities in future actual/pre-planned events. Please explain your response.

Documents:

Copies of the following documents should be included:

  • All available SitReps.
  • AAR/IP using the HSEEP format
  • Any other event-related documents.
  • Letter from the jurisdiction that was impacted by the event, EOC Manager/Assistant Manager or IEMA regional/central office staff verifying that the event took place and that the renewal applicant served in the position described.

Real World or Pre-Planned Event-Command/General Staff Level Position

Narrative:

Provide a brief description of the event. Describe why an Incident/Unified Command Structure was established. Identify the entities that were involved. Were there any other entities that should have been involved? If so, why? What was the location of the Incident/Unified Command Post? What were the benefits of this location? Please explain your response. What were the challenges of this location? Please explain your response. Were there any attempts made during the event to address any of the challenges?

Identify the Command/General Staff(C&GS) position that you were assigned. Why were you selected? What is your previous experience/training relevant to this position? Did you open a task-book for your position? If so, were you evaluated?

What was the timeline of the event? At what time during the event were you assigned your position? Were you assigned this position for the entire event or were there shift changes? What did you feel your strengths were going into the event? Please explain your response.

What did you feel your challenges were going into the event? Please explain your response. Were you able to improve on any of your challenges? If so, how?

What timeline was used for briefings? Who provided the brief? Would you have used a different schedule? If so, why? What was your involvement in developing the content for the briefings? Following the briefings, were you responsible for forwarding the information to anyone else? If so, why and to whom? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on if you are asked to develop briefings at future events. Please explain your response.

What were the timelines for the operational periods and why were they used? Would you have used different periods? Please explain your response.

Was an Incident Action Plan (IAP) developed? Who was responsible for developing the IAP and what was your involvement in this development? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on if you are asked to develop an IAP at future events. Please explain your response.

Was there an event Hot Wash? If so, what was your involvement? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on in case you are asked to take the lead in conducting a Hot Wash following future events. Please explain your response.

Was there an AAR/IP developed? If so, what was your involvement? Identify any positive lessons and possible challenges that you observed in case you are asked to take the lead in developing an AAR/IP following future events. Please explain your response.

Identify any additional lessons you learned during the event that will allow you to improve your capabilities in future events/exercises. Please explain your response.

Documents:

Copies of the following documents should be included:

  • All available IAPs with the applicant listed in the assigned position.
  • AAR/IP using the HSEEP format
  • Any other event-related documents.
  • Letter from the Incident/Unified Command or Safety Officer for the event or IEMA regional/central office staff verifying that the event took place and that the renewal applicant served in the position described.

Lead Controller

Beginning with the 2019 applications, those submitting the Lead Controller position will meet the following additional criteria: Being an active member of the exercise design team, identified in the exercise documents as the Lead Controller for the entire exercise and provide a detailed narrative how they selected, trained, coordinated, briefed and debriefed all additional controllers.

Narrative:

Why were you selected? What was your previous experience/training relevant to this position? Did you choose this position or were you assigned? With the additional controllers, what was your involvement in their selection and what were the selection criteria? What do you feel you could have done to better prepare you for this position? If you were assigned to identify a person to fill this position in future exercises, what previous experience and/or training do you think would allow a person to be best prepared?

What briefings were you involved with, or that you scheduled/conducted, and what was your role? Do you feel the briefings were productive or could have been more productive? Please explain your response. With the additional controllers, were there any pre-exercise briefings conducted with them? If so, what was your role? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on if you are involved in conducting these briefings in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Describe your role during the exercise. With the additional controllers, how did you interact with them? What was your interaction with the Exercise Director/Co-Director, evaluators or others? Was there a simulation cell established? If so, describe your interaction with it? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on when interacting with the Exercise Director/Co-Director, evaluators and the simulation cell in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Identify and describe any post-exercise conferences/meetings and what your role was during those conferences/meetings.

Identify any additional lessons you learned as the Lead Controller that will allow you to improve your capabilities in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Documents:

Copies of the following documents should be included:

  • All HSEEP formatted documents that list the applicant as the Lead Controller.
  • Letter from the Exercise Director/Co-Director or IEMA regional/central office staff verifying that the event took place and that the renewal applicant served in the position described.

Injects Writing/Master Sequence of Events List (MSEL) Team

Narrative:

Why were you selected? What was your previous experience/training relevant to this position? Did you choose this position or were you assigned? If you were assigned to identify a person to fill this position in future exercises, what previous experience and/or training do you think would allow a person to be best prepared?

What entities were included on the Injects Writing/MSEL Team? Were there other entities that you felt should have been included? Please explain your response.

What conferences/meetings were you involved with and what was your role? Do you feel these were productive or could have been more productive and why? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on when participating in these types of conferences/meetings in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Describe your role in developing the exercise documents. Which specific documents were you involved with developing and what was your level of involvement? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on when being a member of the Injects Writing/MSEL Team in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Describe your role during the exercise. Was there any interaction with the controllers, evaluators, members of the design team or simulation cell? Describe what you felt you did well and what you need to improve on when interacting with those entities in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Identify any additional lessons you learned as a member of the Injects Writing/MSEL Team that will allow you to improve your capabilities in future exercises. Please explain your response.

Documents:

Copies of the following documents should be included:

  • MSEL Document
  • Letter from the Exercise Director/Co-Director or IEMA regional/central office staff verifying that the event took place and that the renewal applicant served in the position described.

After reviewing the drop-down box for the applicant’s assigned position, please submit the following items:

  • Narrative: A double-spaced, single-sided Word document that addresses all of the required narrative information listed. This detailed narrative will allow the applicant to provide an in-depth picture of their involvement, with special attention directed to what the applicant felt they did well and what challenges they faced. These “lessons learned,” along with “why” they felt that way, provide the applicant with a baseline of their strengths and what areas they look to improve on during future exercises or events. The length of the narrative will depend on how long it takes the applicant to address all of the required information for the position they were assigned, with special attention to the “lessons learned.” If the required information is not provided, the narrative will be returned to the applicant for revision and re-submittal.
  • Exercise/Event Documents: Copies of the specific documents listed in the drop-down box.
  • Verification Letter: Letter as described in the drop-down box.

Reference Letter and Experience Requirements

A letter validating the documented role and the number of years in the role. Acceptable sources of the letter include: current supervisor or past supervisor (within the required number of years), emergency management officials (municipal, county, state or federal), chief elected official in your jurisdiction. Applicant may petition IPEM Application Review Committee for roles not listed below. The following scale represents the minimum number of years required based on the applicant’s role:​

  • Three years emergency management role at the municipal, county, state, or federal level (full, part-time, or volunteer) At least one year must be Illinois-based.
  • Two years emergency management role, with a bachelor’s degree in emergency management or homeland security, at the municipal, county, state, or federal level (full, part-time or volunteer) At least one year must be Illinois-based.
  • Five years public safety role: law enforcement, fire, EMS, public health, military, national weather service, human services, non-governmental organizations* At least one year must be Illinois-based.  
  • Five years private sector role: risk management, safety, emergency management preparedness specialist, security/emergency response specialist, security coordinator, access control coordinator* At least one year must be Illinois-based.

Professional Contributions and Requirements

Renewal applicants are required to submit 3 professional contributions. The following link identifies the 19 contributions to choose from along with the information/documentation that is required for each one. Please do not submit more than the required three.​ Professional contributions.

IPEM Renewal Application Submittal Process

The IPEM accreditation is required to be renewed every three years. The IPEM renewal application must be received by IEMA with a post mark no later than July 15 of the year the accreditation expires for consideration of reaccreditation. The IPEM accreditation renewal application must include the following:

  • A letter to the Director of IEMA requesting the renewal of the applicant’s IPEM.
  • A copy of the completed renewal application form.
  • A copy of all appropriate training course completion certificates that are not currently listed on the applicant's IEMA training transcript. It is the responsibility of the applicant to maintain a record of course completion certificates and all other appropriate supporting documentation. Applicants are asked to review their IEMA training transcript to assist in ensuring that all required training has been completed. 
  • A copy of the required exercise or real world/pre-planned event narrative, related documents and verification letter.
  • A copy of information/documentation required for only three professional contributions. 
  • A copy of the reference letter verifying the applicant’s documented role and number of years in the role.

Please submit only the documents required as listed above staple free and unbound.

Applicant is asked to access the Application Review Process to be aware of the review process once the renewal application has been received by IEMA.

The renewal application packet should be mailed to:

IEMA Director
2200 South Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, Illinois 62703-4528
Attn: IPEM Application