The Lifetime CEM designation is an honor bestowed by the Certification Commission.

• The candidate must be a current CEM at the time of application and recertified at least once prior to becoming eligible for the Lifetime designation.
  • The candidate must be nominated by a current CEM familiar with the candidate for the Lifetime designation. The nomination process is a collaboration of both the nominator and the nominee.
  • The online nomination form must be completed through the online application portal by of the nominating CEM and shall include a narrative stating the achievements in the field of emergency management, two letters of recommendation from current CEMs (on letterhead with signatures) stating achievements deserving of this honor, and a letter of interest (including the retirement date) from the candidate.
  • The nomination and two letters of recommendation (arranged for by the nominee) will be reviewed by several commissioners and a recommendation will be made to the Chair of the CEM Commission.
  • A simple majority vote of the Commission and the IAEM Council Board shall be required to approve.
• The candidate must be retired from full-time service as an employee in the field of emergency management and remain retired.
  • “Retired from emergency management” for the purpose of this designation means less than 400 hours of employment, self- employment, principal in a consulting firm in a one calendar year period.
  • Exception to the 400 hours of employment is during a recall to service in emergency management to assist in the response and recovery of a disaster that has been designated by the president, prime minister or other head of state.
• The Lifetime CEM shall be expected to uphold and adhere to the IAEM Code of Ethics and the Professional Code of Conduct of the Certified Emergency Manager.
• Should a Lifetime CEM desire to change their status back to a regular CEM, they must continue to maintain the normal re-certification process in place at the time they revert back to regular status, with no time charged for the duration of their Lifetime status.
  • Any training and contributions to the profession obtained during the period of Lifetime CEM may be used in the re-certification process but is subject to review as with any candidate.

Once IAEM Headquarters has received the completed online nomination form for the candidate from a current CEM, plus two written, signed reference letters from current CEMs, the application will be reviewed by the Certification Commission during the next scheduled review meeting.

If the Certification Commission accepts the lifetime nomination, the recommendation will be forwarded to the USA Board of Directors for their review and approval. The candidate will be awarded their Lifetime CEM after the minutes from the USA Board of Directors meeting, stating acceptance of the candidate’s Lifetime nomination, have been approved. Please note that this process can take several months. We thank you in advance for your patience.

The online nomination form can be accessed at www.iaemcem.org

Download the User Guide for Completing the Lifetime CEM Online Nomination Form