Certifications Available from American Board for Certification in Homeland Security

[Charlie410]

Anyone have any opinions, good/bad, concerning any of the training available through the American Board for Certification in Homeland Security?

http://www.abchs.com/

I've noticed that some security professionals, (Not many that I've seen), have attained a CHS level of certification. I checked into some of the training available through this site and in my opinion, (since I have not achieved independent wealth just yet), the courses are fairly expensive. Question is: Are they even worth the time, effort and money to pursue through this organization?

I am eagerly awaiting any and all opinions.

[ThrilloftheVO]

I've been seeing a lot of people go for this. I showed it to one of my coworkers who was looking for a certification he could attach to his name and he started pursuing it.

Basically, CHS-I was a complete joke. He passed it on the exact same day he joined ABCHS without even really looking at the material. Two days later, he passed CHS-II with only a skim of the manual. I read the manuals for both I and II and they were indeed pretty basic.

He's probably going to take CHS-III and might keep going after that. Most of the guys I see on LinkedIn who have it get to CHS-III and stop because it becomes incredibly expensive for IV and V and you have to travel to take tests. Keep in mind that I and II are ridiculously easy, so CHS-III probably doesn't mean a whole lot.

My opinion is that if you're not willing to go to all the way to CHS-V, it's probably not worth the money or effort at all. CHS I-III are probably going to be looked down on as more employers become familiar with them.

One problem I have is that ABCHS doesn't require (although they do "strongly suggest" it) earning recertification credits to maintain CHS certifications. In my opinion, no certification is worth anything if you aren't required to seek continuing education.

I don't know where you are in your career, but if you're more entry to mid-level and you want something to hang on the wall, I think you're better off going for the CPO certification. If you have several years in the field and have done some management, go for the CPP.

Those are older, more well-known, and respected certifications that require continuing education to maintain. Not only that, I think it costs about as much to become a CHS-III as it does to take the CPP exam ($300).

[Charlie410]

Thanks for the feedback and insight! As I said, I have seen some people with the CHS III and have noted a handful of employers specifically looking for this certification in a candidate. I heard a few years back that the certifications from this particular organization wasn't worth pursuing back then. Their certifications looked and sounded impressive but I noted even back then they were very expensive! Recently while surfing the net, I noticed that a few employers were advertising a position that specifically mentioned that a desired candidate should possess a certification from this organization. The thought occurred to me that maybe their standards and professional recognition level had jumped up a few notches. So, I figured I'd ask about it here to see what everyone else thought about it.

Certifications are without question a good thing to add to one's credentials but the trick is figuring out which ones are worth the time and investment. Having an alphabet after one's name on a business card might look impressive to an unfamiliar eye but obviously one should earn the "right ones" that are credible and recognized in the industry.

After a long pursuit for a variety of reasons, I finally earned the CPP designation last December and I now have my sights set on obtaining the CPO from the IFPO in the near future. I've discovered there's a variety of certifications available out there for just about anything imaginable. The trick is figuring out which ones are worthy of consideration and which ones are not.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

[FireControlman]

I attained CHS-V in 2008, for me the material was simplistic due to my Navy training in firefighting, CBRNE, damage control and medical response.


~REDACTED


YMMV

[ThrilloftheVO]

Ah, congrats on getting the CPP, Charlie! I earned mine in March of last year.

For a professional certification to be worth anything, I think it should require at least three of these:

1. Continuing education for recertification
2. Rigid experience and education requirements
3. A challenging, monitored test with a high grade needed for passing
4. Broad recognizibility or be a requirement for many positions

Unfortunately, CHS I to III just doesn't meet the standard on the first three.

The one I think you should be looking at (now that I know where you stand, being a CPP and all) is the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) program. It looks very challenging.

http://www.iaem.com/certification/Ge...fo/Cem.htm#req

[Charlie410]

Ah, congrats on getting the CPP, Charlie! I earned mine in March of last year.

For a professional certification to be worth anything, I think it should require at least three of these:

1. Continuing education for recertification
2. Rigid experience and education requirements
3. A challenging, monitored test with a high grade needed for passing
4. Broad recognizibility or be a requirement for many positions

Unfortunately, CHS I to III just doesn't meet the standard on the first three.

The one I think you should be looking at (now that I know where you stand, being a CPP and all) is the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) program. It looks very challenging.

http://www.iaem.com/certification/Ge...fo/Cem.htm#req

Thanks for the insightful and frank feedback FireControlman. Much appreciated! Sounds like it is a respectable credential for one to possess but at the same time, I also understand some of the issues you've personally observed and noted relating to the certification process through this organization.

And thanks for the kind words, ThrilloftheVO. For me, earning the CPP certification was a personal goal I've had for quite some time. I got a lot of personal satisfaction when I finally earned it! I also agree with your criteria for certification worthiness too.

I have heard of the CEM. It's a good one from what I have heard about it. A friend's wife earned this one and she said it was a difficult one to earn! I currently don't have any plans to pursue that one anytime soon but it is on my radar screen of future possibilities. I am not sure I currently meet the prerequisites for it anyways at the moment. I'll need to double check this.

I am certain that the next one I plan on working on in the very near future is most likely going to be the CPO. I've heard nothing but good things about this one! In fact, on a side note if you were not aware, ASIS accepts this training as continuing education credits towards maintaining your CPP certification too!

[FireControlman]

Ah, congrats on getting the CPP, Charlie! I earned mine in March of last year.

For a professional certification to be worth anything, I think it should require at least three of these:

1. Continuing education for recertification
2. Rigid experience and education requirements
3. A challenging, monitored test with a high grade needed for passing
4. Broad recognizibility or be a requirement for many positions
.

Almost, my continued education credits is required and tracked by ABCHS; I can log-in and check on my status updates online.

[03CPO]

SNIP:
http://www.abchs.com/

I checked into some of the training available through this site and in my opinion, (since I have not achieved independent wealth just yet), the courses are fairly expensive.

Since you've done the legwork, what might those costs be for CHS1-V?

[Charlie410]

Well, I don't know as it seems one cannot specifically navigate to a page that displays the CHS cost information...unless I somehow overlooked it. There are other listed programs on the web site main page that appear to be separate from the CHS courses. If my assumption is correct, the cost for the programs they have listed on the front page will at least give you an idea of what kind of price range they might generally charge for their training courses. Is this the same cost range for the CHS training? I don't know but based upon what I've been able to access, I can only logically conclude that the consistent pricing information I saw for the other courses is perhaps in line with what they'll charge for the CHS courses.

Click on one of the non-CHS "programs" on the main page and then click the "enroll" link and it gives a course description. Also listed is the price for the courses which ranges from $495 for members and $695 for non-members.

[03CPO]

I found the cost page; a bit pricey as you and others mentioned. I Think I'll focus on finishing the Criminal Justice Degree. After all it's FREE due to 24 yrs of service, mostly completed before I retired, just a little bit left.
https://secure.acfei.com/chs/members...dual&gtype=chs