Advanced Level Certification

Overview

The Advanced Level certification is an advanced certification for emergency managers, requiring training, service, and experience.

Training: This level of certification requires a total of 1000 hours of training: 250 additional Core and an additional 100 Non-Core hours (total 700 Core, 300 Non-Core).

Service: This level of certification requires 3 out of 13 areas of service, listed within the Section E of the Masters Level requirements. All service requirements shall have proper supporting documentation attached & uploaded to receive credit.

Experience: This level of certification requires three years working for an emergency management office, or five years in an EM-related (ESF - Emergency Support Function) field with verification of direct EM coordination as part of the applicant’s primary job responsibilities.

All requirements for Advanced Level certification are in addition to meeting Intermediate & Basic Level certification requirements.

Those who have earned Advanced Level certification are entitled to use the ALEM designation.

2026 Certification rules
new: 2026 blem-alem applicant certification workbook

Required Courses

Beginning Jan.1, 2026, the following will be the new required core training, and continue to strengthen an EM’s foundation of knowledge while aligning future EM Directors with the Alabama CLEM requirements:

  • IS-29 Public Information Officer Awareness

  • IS-75 Military Resources in Emergency Management

  • IS-393 Introduction to Mitigation

  • IS-552 The Public Works Role in Emergency Management

  • IS-1006 Documenting Disaster Damage & Developing Project Files

  • IS-1009 Conditions for Public Assistance Grant

  • IS-1010 Emergency Protective Measures

  • AWR 401: THIRA

    • Alternatively, if you have IS-2001 Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA), you may submit that. FEMA replaced this course for the AWR course in 2025

  • IS-2200 Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions

  • ICS-300 ICS-300 Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents – (G300) – Post-2019 Updated Course

    • Note: This is the full in-person class. It can not be substituted with an online prep course or the Q0464 course through the USFA.

  • ICS-400 ICS-400 Advanced ICS Command & General Staff – (G400) – Post-2019 Updated Course

    • Note: This is the full in-person class. It can not be substituted with an online prep course or the Q0466 course through the USFA.

The required courses listed above account for, typically, 89 hours. This means you’ll need an additional 161 hours of Core training.

Additional Requirements

In addition to the required courses listed above, this level of certification requires:

  • Training:

    • A total of 250 hours of Core curriculum (FEMA and other emergency management training). The required training courses listed above count towards the 250 hour total.

    • A total of 100 hours of Non-Core training. Non-Core training includes other public safety and general management training and education.

  • Experience: Three years working for an emergency management office or five years working in an EM-related field (think Emergency Support Functions) where emergency management coordination activities are a primary job responsibility.

  • Service: Three out of Thirteen areas of service listed below. You can find the specific requirements for each within Section E of the Masters Level Certification requirements in the 2026 Rules.

    • Conferences

    • Community Leadership

    • Professional Assignments

    • Publish an Article

    • Speaking

    • Professional Instruction

    • Disaster Credit

    • Legislative Contacts

    • CLEM

    • Community Involvement

    • Exercises

    • Professional Certification

    • Other