Maintaining Certified Status For ASFPM CFM®

Certifications awarded by the ASFPM can be valid indefinitely and will remain in effect for a two year period. At the end of two years, each CFM must submit a renewal application, and CEC documentation to ASFPM and enclose the appropriate renewal fee. When these conditions are met, a two-year renewal will be issued.

Renewals

The CFM biennial (every two years) renewal requirements are:

Submittal of renewal application;
Submittal of renewal fee;
Submittal of proof of 16 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) within the previous 24 months, with a maximum of 12 CECs earned in any one year.

When these conditions are met, a two-year renewal will be issued.

The continuing education requirement can be met through any combination of formal courses, university short courses, or home-study courses the require testing, and are approved by the CBOR, or by attendance at technical portions of the ASFPM annual conference, state chapter conference, or other related technical meetings. The CEC Policy gives further detail and lists approved CEC programs and courses. This guidance document is available on the World Wide Web at Practical Guide. Documentation of training and CECs will be reviewed and tabulated by the ASFPM Executive Office. CECs and related training could be obtained through:

ASFPM conferences, workshops, and training sessions;
Redvector- online training. See Redvector for further information:
State chapters or associations' conferences and sponsored training sessions;
Related EMI courses;
Retrofitting/floodproofing workshops and training sessions;
National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System training;
Disaster response training sessions;
Continuing education units or training hours from other educational training; or
Selected state or federal agency or private sector training courses.

CFMs may request the CBOR review programs and courses not on the list of approved programs and courses. The CBOR will evaluate these requests to determine the validity of training and their relevance to floodplain management. If the program or course is deemed to meet the training requirements of the CFM Program, the CBOR will determine the number of CECs to be granted (depending upon the floodplain management content), notify the applicant, and place the new program or course on the ASFPM's list of approved programs and courses.

CFM Renewal Process

1. Approximately 1 year prior to the biennial renewal, the CFM will receive a reminder letter discussing the CEC requirements and renewal process.

2. Approximately 3 monthsprior to the two-year recertification, the CFM will receive a notification, renewal application, billing statement, and CEC forms for the biennial renewal.

3. The CFM will submit her/his renewal application, renewal fee, and CECs to ASFPM for review. CFMs need to attach an agenda and a copy of a certificate of completion or verification of attendance on the back of each CEC Form requesting credit for a specific course, workshop, etc. CECs may be submitted for review, however, at any time during the 2-year renewal period.

4. Those individuals meeting the renewal requirements minimum qualifications will be sent a new certificate at expiration after submission of material to the ASFPM. Those not fulfilling the requirements for renewal by her/his renewal due date will be decertified and so notified. Specifics of reinstatement of certification are covered in the Charter.

5. All verbal and written correspondence directed to the Certification Board of Regents should be sent to the ASFPM Executive Office.

Late Renewal

If a CFM makes an application for renewal within 30 days following the expiration date, he/she will receive their renewal certification only if they (1) submit an updated renewal form, (2) pay the renewal fee, (3) pay the late fee, and (4) submit proof of having earned 16 CECs for the previous two year certification period. If the certification has been expired for more than one month, re-establishing certification is not possible unless the applicant pays the original application fees, takes the exam again and passes it.

Those not fulfilling the requirements for renewal by the due date will be sent a letter of decertification, stating that the individual may no longer classify him or herself as a Certified Floodplain Manager or use the registered trademark CFM®.

Decertification

A CFM may be decertified for failure to fulfill the requirements specified in Section IV A.4 of the CBOR's Charter by the renewal date.

A CFM may be decertified for unprofessional conduct if he/she has:

Been convicted of a crime or any felony directly related to his or her professional duties;
Falsified, intentionally destroyed, or modified official records or documents relating to his or her professional duties, or otherwise knowingly provided misleading information related to his or her duties or floodplain management;
Received or solicited money or anything of value directly or indirectly that may be expected to influence his or her actions or judgment in a matter outside of commonly acceptable practices or values;
Used his or her position in an illegal, dishonest, or unprofessional way to influence or gain financial or other benefit of his or her immediate family or organization with which he or she is associated; or
Violated the Code of Professional Conduct listed in the CBOR's Charter.

Information on a CFM's unprofessional conduct must be submitted to the ASFPM Executive Office in writing. No anonymous submittals will be accepted. If the President of the CBOR determines that consideration of decertification may be warranted, the charges and all supporting documentation will be provided to the CFM by certified mail. The CFM shall have 30 days upon receipt thereof to respond in writing to the charges.

If a CFM has not fulfilled the renewal requirements by the renewal date or has not responded to the charges of unprofessional conduct by the specified deadlines, he or she will be sent a registered letter of decertification, stating that he/she may not classify him or herself as an "ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager" or use the ASFPM Registered Trademark CFM in any way for a period of time specified in the letter. He/she may reapply to take the CFM exam after that date. If the CFM does submit the appropriate papers by the deadline, the procedures in Section IV.A.8b of the CBOR Charter shall be followed.

CFM "Retired"

On March 29, 2007, CBOR discussed the issue of a "retired" CFM status. During the discussion, CBOR had concerns in two areas: 1) the person granted this status would have to be totally retired and performing no work and no authority in floodplain management where they might use the designation of CFM; 2) how would persons with the "retired" status be tracked to make sure the person remains retired? This could cause a problem in spending a lot of time in tracking "retired" CFMs.

CBOR members decided non-approval of a designation of a "retired" CFM.

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Professional certification is a peer review process administered through the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). Participation in the CFM Program is strictly voluntary. The program is designed to establish educational, training, and experience criteria related to floodplain management, hazard mitigation, and the National Flood Insurance Program, and to certify that an individual applicant has met these criteria.

ASFPM assumes no liability for any action or decision made by individual CFMs during the normal course of performing their prescribed duties and responsibilities of managing development within the identified floodplains, as established by criteria of the NFIP or state and mandated by their respective employer or local government agency. Furthermore, any list of CFMs should be used with care. The Association of State Floodplain Managers has not attempted to independently verify the information submitted by certification applicants. We strongly recommend that anyone using the professional services of any ASFPM CFM listed individual or firm contact that individual or firm directly and request and verify their references and credentials. Further, the ASFPM assumes no liability for any action or decision made by an ASFPM accredited state entity in accepting, denying, certifying, or renewing CFMs.

This page last updated on 10/01/09