Education Resources & Certifications
Here you will find some qualifications and educational resources that pertain to the world of safety, emergency management, QA and PI work. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list but rather a consolidated launching point for furthering your career. If you have other resources that you think others would benefit from please do not hesitate to let us know!
Emergency Management
FEMA: Offers numerous free independent study (IS) courses with a printable certification following each. They also provide what's known as their National Emergency Management Academy, consisting of IS and in-class courses. FEMA Incident Command System for Utilities (ICS) information.
Millersville University: They offer a Masters in Emergency Management (MSEM) program that takes a year or two to complete. Following completion graduates are allowed to sit for the below AEM/CEM designation. They also offer a Emergency and Disaster Management graduate certification (about half the course requirements of the MSEM).
International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM): This organization offers the Associate Emergency Manager and Certified Emergency Manager designation. For those interested in careers in this field it is a must have. Importantly, most of the courses in the FEMA section count toward IAEM's required 200 hours for certification.
Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM): This institute is the accrediting authority for the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) designation. It requires a B.A. and 4 years experience in handling hazardous materials.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): This organization is the United State's main source for fire safety codes. They offer an array of certificates ranging from electrical to wildfire mitigation.
Arboriculture specific
Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA): This is the certifying body that assigns the CTSP designation, which is slowly becoming a standard requirement for those working in the tree care industry.
International Society of Arboriculture (ISA): The accrediting body for the well-known Certified Arborist (CA) designation. They offer several other certifications but all require having first received their CA. You must have 3 years experience in the tree care industry to qualify.
International
NEBOSH: A British organization that provides a multitude of credentials that act as the standard for safety education outside the United States. Their NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) and NEBOSH Diploma are a curriculum based achievement versus the test based model in the US. An essential for anyone interested in working internationally. Like OSHA, they administer their courses through registered third party entities. RRC is popular for NEBOSH certifying.
Safety
OSHA: They offer their numbered classes through their 38 designated OSHA Training Institute Education Centers throughout the US, 3 of which are in California (Dublin-Carson-San Diego). Although OSHA doesn't offer any direct degree or certification designations, many of the OSHA centers above curate their own degree/cert programs based on the OSHA numbered classes.
Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP): This is the authorizing organization that administers the well known CSP/ASP/CSHT/SMS designations with their CSP acting as their gold standard in safety credentialing. These are obtained through a single test rather than a standardized curriculum.
Colombia Southern University: An online education that allows a graduate of their B.S. Occupational Health & Safety to fulfill the Bachelors degree requirement for the CSP, with the additional benefit of bypassing the otherwise requisite ASP exam.
Oklahoma State University: Their Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology program is regarded as one of the best safety and fire engineering B.S. educations in the nation. Many oil and gas companies recruit through here. It's a true in-class 4-year bachelors experience.
Power/Utility specific
Utility and Safety Ops Leadership Network (USOLN): Their Certified Utility Specialist Professional (CUSP) credential was recently accredited by the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). Any one with 3 years utility experience can apply for the test.
ISA: Offers a more specialized credential, Certified Arborist Utility Specialist. The Certified Arborist credential is a pre-req.
Northwest Lineman College: A dedicated trade school offering aspiring electrical, telecommunications and gas professionals a comprehensive curriculum to enter their respective fields. These programs require a significantly lower investment of time and money than a traditional college experience. A student can graduate in 7-17 weeks, depending on the education track. They have 4 schools (California-Utah-Texas-Florida).
QA/QC
American Society for Quality (ASQ): This organization offers a multitude of QA/QC credentials. Some certifications can require as little as a few years (CQIA) to 8 years (CQA) years experience with education often times replacing that experience.
This page is a fluid document in support of public and SENA Consulting employment development in the fields of Safety, QA/PI and Emergency Response services.