Town of Southampton, NY October 16, 2023 – Town Code Compliance and Emergency Management Administrator, Ryan Murphy was approved by the Certification Commission of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) to receive the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) credential. The CEM® designation is the highest honor of professional achievement available from the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), which has in its membership more than 6,000 emergency managers representing professionals whose goals are saving lives and protecting property and the environment during emergencies and disasters. The new class of CEM®'s join the 4,183 other emergency managers who were approved for the designation since January 1993 bringing the total international number of Certified Emergency Managers to 4,219. When told of the certification news, Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said, “Outstanding! It is good to know that we have such a highly credentialed individual assisting the Town of Southampton during emergencies.”
Murphy has served as the Town Code Compliance and Emergency Management Administrator for Southampton Town since February 2020. Prior to coming to the Town of Southampton, Murphy served as a Community Emergency Evacuation Coordinator for Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services in the Office of Emergency Management for ten years. He has also been a volunteer firefighter for 23 years with the Patchogue Fire Department and is currently one of the elected Fire Commissioners of the Patchogue Fire District.
IAEM administers the CEM program for the emergency management profession. Policy decisions and judgments are made by a Commission of respected professionals in the field of Emergency Management. The Certification Commission approved applicants who successfully completed an extensive credentials package, and a written examination. The credentials requirements include experience, references, education, training, and contributions to the profession. To maintain certification, CEM® recipients must document additional training and contributions every five years. “The process of attaining CEM status required documenting hundreds of hours of training and education, documenting participation in emergency management exercises and activities, and documenting my role in real life emergencies over the last 14 years. It was a rather onerous process and I am proud to receive the CEM designation.”
The emergency management certification program was developed over the last several years by IAEM with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and guidance from an advisory board which included professionals from a variety of disciplines and representatives of key groups with a stake in emergency management.
