Those who complete all Professional Development Series (PDS) courses are eligible to receive a PDS Certificate of Completion. The certificate is issued by the EMI Superintendent and the State Director for award to the student.

Requests for the certificate must be sent to the Florida Division of Emergency Management Training Office for verification, then to the Superintendent of EMI.

Due to the high volume of requests by students completing all Professional Development Series (PDS) requirements, the time required for preparation and concurrence for each PDS Certificate of Completion at the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is currently one month. Then each certificate is sent to the Director for signature and award to the student.

There are several ways to apply for your PDS certificate. The appropriate method depends on how you completed the required courses.

• If you have completed all the PDS requirements through the Independent Study Program (ISP), your certificate will be automatically generated and sent to your State Training Officer (STO) for signature. It will then be mailed or presented to you.
• If you have completed some of the courses in the classroom through State training, and some through the Independent Study Program (ISP), you should inform your STO and provide that office copies of all applicable ISP certificates as evidence that you have completed the remaining required PDS courses through Independent Study. The STO should then request a PDS Certificate of Completion be generated for you.
• If you have completed all of the courses in the classroom through State training, you should inform your STO. The STO should then request  that a PDS Certificate of Completion be generated for you.

Students who complete all PDS-required courses are eligible to receive a PDS Certificate of Completion. PDS-required courses include: IS230, IS235, IS240, IS241, IS242, IS244, and IS139. PDS certificates are awarded by your State Emergency Management Agency in partnership with the EMI.

The courses, in recommended order of completion, are as follows:

• IS230 Principles of Emergency Management
• IS235 Emergency Planning
• IS242 Effective Communication
• IS241 Decision Making and Problem Solving
• IS240 Leadership and Influence
• IS244 Developing and Managing Volunteers
• IS139 Exercise Design

Courses may be taken by individuals online (at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS) or by correspondence or in group study taught by an instructor. For group study courses, consult your State’s emergency management agency training schedule.

IS-230 Principles of Emergency Management
Understanding the fundamental principles and practices of emergency management provides a framework for the future professional growth of every emergency manager and responder. This course is designed to provide a basic framework of understanding of emergency management in the following areas:

· Overview of the Integrated Emergency Management System
· The emergency management cycle
· The Plan as program centerpiece
· Planning and coordination
· Functions of an emergency management program
· Emergency management program participants
· Applying emergency management principles

This course may also be delivered in the classroom. FEMA has developed an Instructor Guide. Groups interested in enrolling should contact their State emergency management training officer for information.
Prerequisites: None.
CEUs: 1.0
Study Hours: 10
Point of Contact: Independent Study Office at 301-447-1200

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IS-235 Emergency Planning
Being able to use all the basic elements of the planning process gives emergency managers, planners and other stakeholders a basis for working together to shape the community’s disaster response to all types of hazards and problems. This course is designed to prepare planners to use the standard terminology and concepts of a properly structured Emergency Operations Plan in the following areas:

· The planning process
· Hazard analysis
· The basic Plan
· Annexes and appendices
· Implementing instructions

This course may also be delivered in the classroom. FEMA has developed an Instructor Guide. Groups interested in enrolling should contact their State emergency management training officer for information.
Prerequisites: None.
CEUs: 1.0
Study Hours: 10
Point of Contact: Independent Study Office at 301-447-1200

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IS-242 Effective Communication
Being able to communicate effectively is a necessary and vital part of the job of every emergency manager, planner, and responder. This course is designed to improve your communication skills. It addresses:

· Basic communication skills
· How to communicate in an emergency
· How to identify community-specific communication issues
· Using technology as a communication tool
· Effective oral communication
· How to prepare an oral presentation

This course may also be delivered in the classroom. FEMA has developed an Instructor Guide. Groups interested in enrolling should contact their State emergency management training officer for information.
Prerequisites: None.
CEUs: .8
Study Hours: 8
Point of Contact: Independent Study Office at 301-447-1200

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IS-241 Decision Making and Problem Solving
Being able to make decisions and solve problems effectively is a necessary and vital part of the job for every emergency manager, planner, and responder. This course is designed to improve your decision-making skills. It addresses:

· The decision-making process
· Decision-making styles
· Attributes of an effective decision maker
· Ethical decision making and problem solving

This course may also be delivered in the classroom. FEMA has developed an Instructor Guide. Groups interested in enrolling should contact their State emergency management training officer for information.
Prerequisites: None.
CEUs: .8
Study Hours: 8
Point of Contact: Independent Study Office at 301-447-1200

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IS-240 Leadership and Influence
Being able to lead others – to motivate them to commit their energies and expertise to achieving the shared mission and goals of the emergency management system – is a necessary part of the job for every emergency manager, planner and responder. This course is designed to improve your leadership and influence skills. It addresses:

· Leadership from within
· How to facilitate change
· How to build and rebuild trust
· Using personal influence and political savvy
· Fostering an environment for leadership development

This course may also be delivered in the classroom. FEMA has developed an Instructor Guide. Groups interested in enrolling should contact their State emergency management training officer for information.
Prerequisites: None.
CEUs: .9
Study Hours: 9
Point of Contact: Independent Study Office at 301-447-1200

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IS-244 Developing and Managing Volunteers
This course is for emergency managers and related professionals working with all types of volunteers and coordinating with voluntary agencies. The course provides procedures and tools for building and working with voluntary organizations. Topics include:

· Benefits and challenges of using volunteers
· Building a volunteer program
· Writing job descriptions
· Developing volunteers through recruitment, placement, training, supervision and evaluation
· Coordinating with voluntary agencies and community-based organizations
· Special issues including spontaneous volunteers, liability, and stress

This course may also be delivered in the classroom. FEMA has developed an Instructor Guide. Groups interested in enrolling should contact their State emergency management training officer for information.
Prerequisites: None.
CEUs: 1.0
Study Hours: 10
Point of Contact: Independent Study Office at 301-447-1200

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IS-139 Exercise Design
Emergency managers, emergency services personnel, and individuals who are part of the emergency preparedness and response communities at all levels need to be able to use the fundamentals of exercise simulation and design as an integrated system of resources and capabilities. This course is designed to develop their exercising skills in the following areas:

· Comprehensive exercise program
· The exercise process
· Exercise design steps
· Tabletop, Functional, and Full-scale exercises
· Exercise evaluation
· Exercise enhancements
· Designing a Functional exercise

This course may also be delivered in the classroom. FEMA has developed an Instructor Guide. Groups interested in enrolling should contact their State emergency management training officer for information.
Prerequisites: None.
CEUs: 1.5
Study Hours: 15
Point of Contact: Independent Study Office at 301-447-1200