Tuesday, September 17, 2013

CFM Exam on 10/21 in Montpelier, VT


We wanted to announce that a spring Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) exam has been scheduled and confirmed for Monday, October 21st from 9am-12pm located in Montpelier.    

What is the CFM program all about you may ask?  Here is a small excerpt from the ASFPM website about the Program:


The Association of State Floodplain Managers has established a national program for professional certification of floodplain managers. The program recognizes continuing education and professional development that enhance the knowledge and performance of local, state, federal, and private-sector floodplain managers.

The primary goal of the ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager Program (CFM Program) is to help reduce the nation's flood losses and protect and enhance the natural resources and functions of its floodplains by improving the knowledge and abilities of floodplain managers in the United States.  A second goal of the CFM Program is to increase the prominence of floodplain management in decision-making by local officials and the public.



Additional information regarding ASFPM and the CFM program can be found at ASFPM’s website or the CFM Program page: www.floods.orgCFM page



General Exam Information:

The exam will be held at the central Agency of Natural Resource officelocated at 1 National Life Drive in Montpelier.  If you are interested, you are now able to register for this exam with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) office.  All registration forms and ASFPM membership applications should be sent to the ASFPM office in Madison, WI. 

If you are not a member of ASFPM, then the cost to register for the exam is $375.  However, if you join ASFPM as a member for $110, the exam registration fee will only be $100 for a total fee of $210.  If you are planning to become an ASFPM member and register for the exam at the same time, you should send the ASFPM membership form, the exam registration form and payment for both together for the ease of processing.


Please note that all exam registrations must be received by ASFPM no later than 2 weeks before the exam date.  This means that all registration forms need to be received by the ASFPM office no later than Monday, October 7th, otherwise you will not be able to sit for the exam.  The CFM exam registration form and the ASFPM membership form can be found here.




Review Session:
We will also be offering an all-day review session the week before the exam (10/15-10/18) with the date still to be determined.   The review session will be held from 9am-5pm in the ANR offices at the National Life Building located in Montpelier . Please contact Rebecca Pfeiffer (rebecca.pfeiffer@state.vt.us) in advance if you intend to be at the review session so that we can be sure that there will be enough room and so we can determined which date works best for those interested in the review.


If you are interested in taking the exam but would not be ready to do so for the 10/21 date, please contact Rebecca  so that your name will remain on our list of people to contact when we are planning another CFM exam in 2014. 


Please pass along the word to whomever else you think may be interested in sitting for the exam!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Upcoming Web Training Events from STARR

From Alex Sirotek, STARR : Hello all,

I’d like to present the upcoming free, online trainings available through STARR. These trainings cover a variety of topics, from the NFIP basics through specifics of elevation certificates, and are presented by STARR staff, FEMA, and State organizations. Many of the courses are eligible for CEC credits for Certified Floodplain Managers.

Please feel free to register for any courses you are interested in attending, and invite or pass information on these courses on to potentially interested communities or organizations in your states. Also, if you are interested in using this online platform for any trainings that your state would like to present, STARR can support you in that effort. Please let me know if you’d like additional information on hosting online trainings.

To register for a course or to check on upcoming courses, navigate to http://j.mp/starrwebtraining and click the “Upcoming” tab. Below are the courses offered in September:

September 11, 1:00 pm Eastern – NFIP Basics
This one-hour session will cover the history of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), basic terminology, governing authority, and provide an overview of the community’s role in floodplain management through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The target audience are state and local officials who need a general understanding of the ins and outs of the program and guidance on where to go for more training and answers. Continuing Education and Professional Development Credits are available.

September 18, 2:00 pm Eastern – Preparing for Post-Disaster Responsibilities
Early disaster preparedness is crucial for the efficient and effective administration of any Floodplain Administrator's duties. This one-hour long webinar, presented by the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, highlights the local floodplain administrator's tasks and offers guidance for a quick and well-organized response. Continuing Education and Professional Development Credits are available.

September 24, 2:00 pm Eastern – Floodplain Development Plan Review
This 90-minute session will highlight eight basic steps to reviewing development inside the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). This is beginner training, recommended for those new to the role of floodplain administrator. 1 CEC for ASFPM Certified Floodplain Managers.

September 25, 1:00 pm Eastern – Inspecting Floodplain Development
This beginner two-hour session will highlight special considerations for plan reviewers and building inspectors when evaluating and inspecting development inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, including basic concepts and terminology, minimum construction standards (from the IBC/IRC), and conducting inspections. 2 CECs for ASFPM Certified Floodplain Managers

September 26, 1:00 pm Eastern – Elevation Certificates
Training on the proper way to complete FEMA Form 81-31 and best practices for using the Elevation Certificate in the floodplain development review process. 2 CECs for ASFPM Certified Floodplain Managers (CFMs) that register and attend individually and pass the learning objectives quiz at the end of the session.

In addition, here is a summary of courses currently scheduled in October and November. Additional courses may be added, so check http://j.mp/starrwebtraining for the current list:

 Oct 2, 2013 , 2:00 PM Eastern-  Substantial Damage Estimation
 Oct 9, 2013 , 1:00 PM Eastern-  Determining a Base Flood Elevation
 Oct 10, 2013 , 12:00 PM Eastern-  Elevation Certificates for A Zones
 Oct 16, 2013 , 2:00 PM Eastern-  CRS Basics
 Oct 17, 2013 , 1:00 PM Eastern-  Hazus and the Community Rating System
 Oct 23, 2013 , 1:00 PM Eastern-  Elevation Certificates
 Oct 24, 2013 , 12:00 PM Eastern-  NFIP Basics
 Nov 6, 2013 , 1:00 PM Eastern-  Floodplain Development Plan Review
 Nov 7, 2013 , 1:00 PM Eastern-  Inspecting Floodplain Development

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you!
Alex

Alex Sirotek, CFM
STARR
FEMA Region 1 Regional Service Center
99 High Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02110
617-574-4402
SirotekAR@cdmsmith.com