What are your feelings on the CFS? (Certified Floodplain Surveyor)
I signed up for NC's CFS class that begins in about a month. I'll be surprised if it isn't cancelled due to Covid. North Carolina has by far the best flood mapping in the US and second only to Netherlands in the world. I'm doing it just to gain knowledge from the people who developed such a useful sytem. I've met a few of the instructors in continuing ed classes and they all struck me as people worth listening to. If I understand FEMA and other regulators better, then I'll be in a better position to help my clients. Other than that, the only advantage is that LOMAs and LOMCs submitted by CFSs cut to the front of the line.
I received an email that this program is being considered for New York.
For those who have taken the classes and become certified in the past four years, could you share your feedback regarding the program? "Worth it" yay or nay, education component, ect. Thanks.
Just a point that the acronym "CFS" was taken years ago to describe "Certified Federal Surveyor." Using it for a different meaning in the same profession will lead to confusion and IMHO should probably not be done.
Any surveyor who intends to do even one elevation certificate should take the class.
I attended a three day Certified Floodplain Surveyor class in NC and passed the exam on day four back in 2022. The NC exam was designed to have a 60% passage rate and was not one of the highlights of my life. I left the class thinking that just the three inch binder of definitions and examples was worth the $450. I also left thinking that I might not have been the best choice for clients that hired me for ECs in the past. The CFS certification itself is not that valuable. On certain submittals, it allows you to cut in line but only in the state that issued the CFS cert.
As you might expect from FEMA, many of the terms and instructions are non-intuitive. In many cases, the only way you can learn what they really need is through this course or through someone who has worked with FEMA at the state or county level.
Key takeaway, contact the Certified Floodplain Manager and ask him or her to review your documents before you certify them.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
