By Michele Blazek
San Francisco State University
The value of the Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) program of the American Meteorological Society is multifaceted. By its existence and insistence on demonstration of knowledge through testing and experience, the CCM program raises the level of professionalism among those who practice in the field represents a level of self-monitoring similar to those used by other technical professional fields such as engineering, surveying, and geology.
The primary purpose of the CCM program is to provide a measure of consumer protection to those who rely on the work and the advice of consulting meteorologists. By requiring both breadth and depth of understanding in the field of meteorology, the CCM demonstrates a level of technical expertise upon which the public can trust. The customers of CCM services are numerous and represent a cross section of society - including individual homeowners, engineers, public planners, media, city governments, public institutions, academia, state and federal government agencies as well as international standards bodies. In order to make decisions, designs, and policy, these customers must rely on the expertise and care provided by Certified Consulting Meteorologists, and the CCM program provides a form of a safeguard to ensure the quality and integrity of the service.
Like other professional certification programs, the CCM program requires meteorologists who participate to achieve and maintain their certification by demonstrating their commitment to continuing education and understanding of the field. They present to the Board of Certified Consulting Meteorology evidence of coursework, ongoing experience, and service to colleagues and the profession for initial certification and every five years thereafter. Also, to participate, Certified Consulting Meteorologists pledge to uphold the ethical and technical standards of the American Meteorological Society and to conduct their business with integrity and a high standard of care. Furthermore, the Board of Certified Consulting Meteorologists ensures the integrity of the CCM program through its procedures to (1) refuse certification to those who do not qualify and cannot demonstrate the level of expertise for the program and to (2) revoke the certification of those who misuse the program and certification including those who would abuse the public trust by using their knowledge of meteorology to harm others.
The personal benefits to those who participate are numerous, but among the most valuable is the encouragement and recognition of the need for continuing education. Those who participate distinguish themselves from others in their field by passing initial tests and scrutiny by the Board as well as demonstrating their commitment to continuing education. Evidence of continuing education can be presented in many ways Ð through coursework; teaching; subscribing and publishing in peer review journals as well as participation in conference and technical standards committees. In everyday life, the need to reinvest in education can be overlooked when there are competing commitments and deadlines. The requirements of certification and ongoing maintenance of the certification are often the extra incentive needed to reinvest in maintaining and expanding expertise. By attendance at conference and sharing ideas and research, the Certified Consulting Meteorologists build a community of shared experience and expertise that allows for personal fulfillment and informal learning through collaboration. By taking the time to publish and share their work, both in AMS Journals and in other press, Certified Consulting Meteorologists can help to extend its reach and influence of this important discipline to other areas of research and public policy development. In fact, many pressing environmental and energy policy debates, such as the ongoing public discussion regarding global climate change, that could only benefit from the technical expertise and insight of meteorologists who demonstrate their expertise through certification.