NFPA And DRI International Partner To Offer Auditor Certifications

NFPA and DRI have created a new certification program available to those leading preparedness programs

Certification available for professionals responsible for preparedness programs

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI) have joined forces to create an education and certification program that will qualify participants to audit disaster/emergency management and business continuity programs against existing standards and regulations. Certification levels currently include Certified Business Continuity Auditor (CBCA) or Certified Business Continuity Lead Auditor (CBCLA).

NFPA, the authority on fire and life safety, and DRI, the leading certification and education body in business continuity planning, announced today a new interactive certification program that provides training, tools, and hands-on experience. Through the program, participants will be able to apply the key components of disaster/emergency management and business continuity; the relevant standards, laws, and regulations; and the process of risk assessment, vulnerability analysis, loss prevention, and risk mitigation. Participants will also develop, implement, test, and maintain their plans and procedures.

"Professionals dealing with the growing need for disaster management and business continuity planning have been clamoring for a turnkey solution to help them measure the level of their organization's preparedness against appropriate standards and regulations, and this certification program answers that call," said NFPA's Bob Vondrasek, vice president for technical projects. "This unique interactive program uses tools that allow novice and experienced corporate planners, internal and external auditors, and those interested in self-assessing their programs, or their clients' programs, to perform an audit to better measure their state of preparedness."

The new program will provide training, tools, and practical experience

Course materials delve into existing legal and regulatory requirements by industry and country, as well as emerging requirements including: NFPA 1600, Standard for Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity; DRI International's professional practices, financial services, insurance, healthcare, utilities, and public sector guidelines; and many others. In addition, careful attention is given to the processes by which disaster/emergency management and business continuity programs are initiated, with an eye toward corporate governance, policy, and procedures.

"Education is the key to success for professionals working in environments where they are expected to be well versed in the ever-growing set of regulatory requirements, laws, and standards," said DRI International's Executive Director, Al Berman. "This certification gives participants the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and experience in helping entities assess their preparedness programs, which is something that is increasingly needed."

At the end of the course, a new and unique qualifying examination is conducted, and individuals who pass will be eligible to apply for certification as a CBCA or CBCLA. The certification level (CBCA or CBCLA) will be granted based upon the amount of demonstrated audit experience of the applicant. Those seeking the CBCLA designation will be required to provide references to verify that they have at least five years of active audit experience. The certification will be granted by DRI International, the largest business continuity certification organization in the world. DRI International has certified over 12,000 applicants in over 90 countries in its more than 20-year history.