FEMA Emergency Management (EM) MEPP Series

The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) created the Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP) in 1999 as a non-resident program to recognize those individuals who have completed prescribed training and demonstrated, through hands-on application, a high degree of professionalism and capability in the arena of emergency management exercises.  In 2004, EMI began offering this title certificate program in a resident series of courses at the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland, to meet the needs of the emergency management exercise community.

As of September 30, 2008, over 1,000 individuals have completed EMI’s Master Exercise Practitioner Program and are empowered to place MEP after their names in recognition of this accomplishment.

The MEPP mission is to improve the capabilities of emergency management exercise personnel in exercise program management and in every phase of the overall exercise process.  Through the improvement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities, both the quantity and quality of exercises conducted at the local, tribal, State, and Federal levels of government can be improved.  The National Standard Exercise Curriculum (NSEC) includes the Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP) as the Level IV: Professional level of training and includes both the Resident and Non-Resident MEPP options for completion.

The MEPP goal is to increase the capabilities of MEP Candidates in mastery of the essentials of exercise program management and the overall exercise process in accordance with the policy, doctrine, practices, and tools in the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP).

FY 2009 Schedule for EM MEPP Series #12

The Emergency Management Institute will accept application packages for the FY 2009 Emergency Management Master Exercise Practitioner Program (EMMEPP) Series #12 during the MEPP Enrollment Period beginning November 1st and ending December 31, 2008 for the following MEPP Series #12 dates:

E132    Discussion-Based Exercise Design and Evaluation                     April 20-24, 2009       

E133    Operations-Based Exercise Design and Evaluation Course        May 18-22, 2009
             
E136    Operations-Based Exercise Development Course                      August 17-21, 2009

All MEPP Applicants will be notified by January 16, 2009 of their acceptance or non-acceptance for the MEP Series.

Target Audience for the Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP)

EMI’s Resident and Non-Resident Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP) eligibility includes local, Tribal, State, Trust Territories, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other Federal agency emergency management/emergency services personnel with responsibilities involve emergency management exercises. This includes exercise training officers, emergency managers, emergency services personnel from fire, emergency medical, hospitals, public/environmental health, coroners, law enforcement, corrections officials, public works/utilities, community service/volunteer agencies, non-profits, and private entities who participate in emergency services/emergency management exercise design/development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning activities, members of exercise planning teams, evaluation teams, and/or who manage exercise programs.

MEPP Applicant Categories for the Resident Option (Courses taught in Residence at the National Emergency Training Center by the Emergency Management Institute)

Category 1:  Local, State, Tribal Nation, and Trust Territories
Category 2:  Department of Homeland Security organizations and agencies (FEMA, TSA, USCG, etc.)
Category 3:  Other Federal Agencies (DOD, DOE, DOT, DOL, etc.)
Category 4:  Private Industry

Prerequisites:

For FY2009, EMI Resident MEPP Applicants must complete the following EMI Independent Study courses and include copies of certificates of completion as part of their MEPP Applicant package:

IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System

http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is100.asp

IS-120.A An Introduction to Exercises

http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS120A.asp

IS-130 Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning

http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS130.asp

IS-200 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents

http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is200.asp

IS-230 Principles of Emergency Management

http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is230.asp

These EMI Independent Study (IS) courses are available on the web at  http://www.training.fema.gov/IS/.  A complete listing of all of the EMI Independent Study courses can be found at http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp.

EMI highly recommends that MEPP Applicants complete the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) training course L-146.  For more information on the HSEEP mobile training course, please visit http://hseeptraining.com/.  Inquiries regarding this training opportunity may be directed via email to hseep@dhs.gov.
Please note that EMI reserves the right to modify the prerequisites for the MEPP on an individual MEPP Series basis.  This means that no new prerequisites will be required of an MEPP Applicant who has submitted an MEPP package within an MEPP enrollment Period.

To Apply for the Resident EMI EM MEPP

Applicants must complete and submit an application package that contains the following:

  1. A General Admission Application Form (FEMA Form 75-5).  Item #9a must identify the MEPP Series in which the applicant wishes to enroll. NOTE: Item #10 must list the IS courses cited above in the Prerequisites.  Do NOT submit multiple copies of the FEMA Form 75-5 for each of the 3 MEPP courses.
  2. A letter from the applicant requesting admission to the program. The letter should address applicant's qualifications with an emphasis on exercise experience in including specific exercise roles, such as program manger, planning/design team leader/member, controller, evaluator, etc.  The letter should also address your expectations and commitment to complete the entire program and note involvement with and responsibilities related to Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/FEMA and/or other federally-funded grant programs with exercise program requirements.  
  3. A letter of recommendation from the your immediate supervisor indicating the organization's commitment to allow the applicant to complete the entire program which includes the time necessary to complete Two (2) Proficiency Demonstration requirements (take home assignments) between the E132 and 133 courses and the E133 and E136 courses, approximately 60 hours for completion.  This letter should also identify the employment relationship between the MEPP Applicant and the employing agency/organization (or sponsoring agency if the individual is not a permanent full-time employee and/or functions as a grant-funded term or temporary employee or as a consultant or contractor).  Finally, please identify the future contributions the organization/agency expects from the MEPP applicant on his/her completion of the program as related to exercise programs and related activities.

Eligibility for Reimbursement FY09:

Individuals from local, State, Tribal Nations, Trust Territories, volunteer organizations, and eligible non-profit organizations (MEPP Category 1 applicants) may be able to secure reimbursement for their eligible travel expenses and be provided housing at National Emergency Training Center (NETC) at no charge.  All students who stay on the NETC campus for the MEPP courses must purchase a meal ticket.  For more information, please visit the Student Information website.

If you are eligible for reimbursement for your transportation expenses as shown above, you must submit your MEPP package to your respective State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) http://www.fema.gov/about/contact/statedr.shtm.  This Point of Contact (POC) will submit your MEPP application package to the:

NETC Admissions Office
EMI Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP)
16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727

NOTE:  If you are a Category 1 MEPP Applicant and send your MEPP package directly to Admissions or to EMI, this may result in a delay or a determination of ineligibility as an MEPP Candidate.
MEPP applicants from Federal Agencies, private sector, and others who are NOT eligible for reimbursement for travel expenses and lodging at no charge should send their completed MEPP application packages directly to:

NETC Admissions Office
EMI Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP)
16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727

EMI Resident MEPP Application packages will be good for one (1) Year from the date of receipt at the NETC Admissions Office.  This means your MEPP Application package will be considered for the next Two (2) MEPP Series.  After that time, your package will be invalid and you will need to update your MEPP package information.  This includes a new FEMA Form 75-5 and any new information you wish to provide to the Admissions Office.
If you are accepted as an MEPP candidate, you will be enrolled in a specific MEPP series. You are not permitted to enroll in other MEPP series. Each MEPP series consists of three (3) resident courses at EMI on the campus of the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  You must complete the training requirements in this order without exception:

1. E132 – Discussion-Based Exercise Design and Evaluation (replaces Exercise Design and Evaluation as of September 30, 2008)

2. E133 Operations-Based Exercise Design and Evaluation Course (replaces Exercise Control/Simulation and Program Management as of September 30, 2008)

3. E136 – Operations-Based Exercise Development Course (replaces Exercise Development Course as of September 30, 2008) Current MEPP course descriptions are located on pages 58-60 in the Emergency Management Institute Fiscal Year 2009 Training Catalog.  The EMI Course Catalog is located on the web at http://www.training.fema.gov/EMICourses/EMICatalog.asp.

CEU’s

2.5 CEUs for each course, total 7.5 CEUs.

If you need more information on the MEPP, please contact Lowell Ezersky, MEPP Manager, email lowell.ezersky@dhs.gov, toll free 1-800-238-3358, extension 1355 or direct phone (301) 447-1355.