Certified Local Emergency Manager
The Certified Local Emergency Manager Program (CLEM) was designed to create standards and promote professionalism for the Local Emergency Management Directors in the State of Alabama. The CLEM program is designed specifically for local emergency management directors in the state and is administered by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. Recently, Act 2023-204 of the Alabama Legislature made significant changes to the CLEM program beginning in October 2023. Below is the updated CLEM guidance that coincides with the recent changes.
Statutory Requirements
The following requirements are hereby established for the position of certified local emergency management director created herein:
Satisfactory completion of two years of college-level education
At least three years of work experience in the area of emergency response, emergency management, or qualified military service
Two hundred (200) hours of coursework in emergency management as recommended by the Alabama Association of Emergency Managers and approved by the Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (Any person who is serving as a local emergency management director on June 14, 2007, shall be deemed to satisfy requirements for two years of college-level education if he or she has a minimum of five years’ work experience as a local emergency management director.)
Each state-recognized local emergency management organization that employs and retains a certified local emergency management director shall receive an annual salary supplement from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to constitute 35 percent of the certified local emergency management director's total salary. In no case shall the salary supplement paid as provided herein be more than seventeen thousand dollars ($17,000) per County.
A salary supplement shall not be paid to certified local emergency management directors who receive that status on or after October 1, 2023, until the beginning of the fiscal year following the completion of the requirements and designation by the Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.
Proof of Compliance
Jurisdiction
Local Emergency Management Director (one per County)
Work Experience
At least three years of work experience in the area of emergency response, emergency management, or qualified military service
Proof of Compliance: A letter on official letterhead from the agency acknowledging your employment/involvement with the agency; or proper documentation from the branch of military stating service and/or deployment assignments and length of service.
Education/Course Work
Two hundred (200) hours of coursework in emergency management as recommended by the Alabama Association of Emergency Managers and approved by the Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. Certification Course List
Proof of Compliance: A copy of course certificates or transcript with courses listed
and
Satisfactory completion of two years of college-level education
Proof of Compliance: A transcript showing completion of 64 semester or 96 quarter hours
Other
Provisional Submission by September 30th Deadline
New CLEM applications: The requirements listed above must be complete and submitted to the AEMA (training@ema.alabama.gov) no later than September 30th at 5:00 PM CDT. In lieu of official certificates for courses taken late in the fiscal year and not yet received by the applicant for submission, for provisional approval the applicant should list the course, date completed, and the number of hours. For official CLEM certification, all certificates must be submitted to AEMA no later than November 30th.
Procedure for a Local Emergency Management Director Hired to fill a prior CLEM Certified Director’s Position
A County that has filled its Emergency Management Director position with a non-CLEM certified Director after having a CLEM certified Director in the same fiscal year will maintain the salary supplement for that fiscal year.
The new local Emergency Management Director must complete the CLEM requirements, submit their package to AEMA, and receive a provisional or fully certified status by October 1st of the following fiscal year in order for the County to retain the salary supplement. The information on CLEM certification can be found on the Alabama EMA website by clicking here.