Step 1: Payment and access
Step 2: Application and supporting documentation
Step 3: Final Submit and deadlines
Congratulations on pursuing APCO P33 Training Program Certification! As you continue through the application process, please remember APCO staff and members of the Call Center Standards Committee are standing by to be of any needed assistance. If you have any questions and/or need any further information as you complete the application and checklist, do not hesitate to contact P33@apcointl.org or call 386-281-7762.
The APCO P33 Training Program Certification – Telecommunicator 2010 requires agencies to meet or exceed the APCO ANS 3.103.1-2010: Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Telecommunicators. In order to submit your training program for review for the APCO P33 Training Program Certification, you will need to complete an application and provide information to show how your agency’s training program meets and/or exceeds the requirements from the above mentioned standard.
Step 1: Payment and access to application - completedPayment is non-refundable and non-transferrable (not transferable outside of an agency, if agency POC needs to be changed, please contact P33@apcointl.org as soon as possible). If certification is denied, additional application fees may be required to resubmit for certification. If the early submission discount was applied to the initial payment and the completed application and checklist was not submitted before the early submission deadline, the agency will be responsible for the entire application fee before certification is granted.
Step 2: Application and Supporting documentation
In order for your application to be complete, you must fill out the applicable fields in both the application and the chapters, as well as provide all related documentation.
Areas of responsibilities
Under the application tab, there are areas of interest. These are related to different responsibilities (Public Safety Calltaking, Law Enforcement Dispatch, Fire Services Dispatch, and/or Emergency Medical Services Dispatch) within the Agency and related training areas within the standard. The areas of responsibilities selected within the application will automatically populate the required chapters needed for the agency to complete. If you provide these services and do not see the information under the appropriate chapters, please go back to the application tab and ensure you checked the area of responsibility that is missing.
Save & Continue and Submit options
Once you begin completing the application and chapters, you can save it and access it later. You do not have to complete it all at once. However, please note that the application and uploaded documentation will not be complete until you go to the "Final Submit" tab and submit your application. Failure to do so will mean that your training program will not be received by APCO for certification consideration.
Chapter tabs
Chapters 1-10 are drawn directly from the APCO American National Standard (ANS) 3.103.1-2010: Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Telecommunicators. In order for your agency to receive this certification, the training program must meet or exceed these requirements. Within each tab, you will be able to upload curriculum and supporting documentation demonstrating how your training program meets or exceeds this standard. If the standard asks to "demonstrate comprehension", you will need to provide the testing methodology used. Testing methodology is the mechanism used to demonstrate comprehension or application related to training objectives. It does not necessarily have to be a written exam, but whatever method the agency deems appropriate.
You will be able to upload related material for each standard under the "supporting documentation" field various file types, including: gif, jpg, pdf, zip, txt, doc, xls, ppt, rtf, docx, xlsx, and pptx. Select “upload files” and by using the browse function, you will select the file from your computer to be uploaded for review. The first time you upload a document, it will be added to the file list. You may need to select the “refresh list” button for it to appear after you have uploaded it. If needed, multiple documents can be uploaded and selected per standard. Multiple documents can be selected as supporting documentation by holding the ctrl button and clicking on the documents names within the list. As you proceed through the standards, you can select a previously uploaded document or upload different documents.
Supporting documentation may include, but is not limited to:
Curriculum Materials
Latest lesson plan
Current version of training materials
Audio/Visual aids and their descriptions
Performance examinations/instruments
Class Evaluation Form
Instructor Support Materials
Additional Materials
Agency Policy Manuals
Agency Training Policies
Employee Assistance Programs
Helpful hint: Before you begin uploading files, it may be helpful to name files with names that will easily identify what the file may contain or the title of the document.
As you upload documents through the “browse and upload” function, if you do not see the document name in the file listing, press the “refresh list” button and check the list again.
The correlating “explanation” field must contain information to direct the reviewer where to look for the specific information meeting the requirement and provide additional information including what testing methodology is used (if applicable). The explanation box should contain details including exact locations of supporting information. If multiple documents support the standard, please specify which document and where the information is located within the document.
If you choose to leave the application and want to save your progress, click the Save and Quit button at the bottom of the page. If you are finished, navigate to the Final Submit tab to save and submit.
| Chapter 3: Organizational Integrity | Supporting Documentation Valid file types: gif, jpg, pdf, zip, txt, doc, xls, ppt, rtf, docx, xlsx, pptx | Explanation Copy and paste the specific language that meets or exceeds this requirement. Also indicate where specifically in the document this language can be found. Provide information on what testing methodology is used to demonstrate comprehension. | |
3.2 | The Telecommunicator shall identify values that relate to their role as a Telecommunicator and their Agency's specific mission and values. |
? No files needed | |
*Remember that within the standard “should” is a recommendation and “shall” is a requirement. All requirements must include supporting documentation and explanation. If a standard is recommended and not required, it is optional for the agency to meet the standard. If the agency chooses not to meet the recommendation, please state “N/A” in the explanation and provide a reason.
If you are in the process of revising your application because you received an email indicated that more information was needed, the color of the tabs for each chapter will assist in identifying the application progress. If a tab for a chapter is red, it means a standard within the chapter needs to be addressed.
Step 3: Final Submit and deadlines
All fields must be completed before the application can be submitted. It is the agency’s responsibility to submit the application by the preferred deadlines.
Applications are accepted year round. Submissions received after December 1st will be considered for recognition at the following APCO Annual Conference & Expo.
Please review the application, checklist and supporting documentation for completeness before final submission. NOTE: The reviewers can only approve the program based upon the materials submitted. This requires strict reliance upon the applicant to submit all necessary documentation and materials. The initial review by APCO International Staff is designed to detect missing documentation or materials; however, it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all materials are included.
The application will not be received by APCO until the “final submit” has been completed. It is the agency’s responsibility to ensure the application has been submitted. The agency POC should receive an email confirmation once the application has been received by APCO. If you do not receive an email after submitting the application, please contact APCO staff at P33@apcointl.org to verify submission.
Once your application is completed, please remember to go to the final tab and submit your application to have your agency considered for the APCO Project 33 Training Program Certification.
Before starting the checklist, first upload any relevant training materials.
If you need to add more documentation later, you can also upload new files while working on the checklist:
Application for APCO International Project 33 Training Program Certification
The Guest Application is solely intended to help familiarize the Agency Point of Contact (POC) with the APCO Project 33 Training Program Certification online application. Do not fill out this Guest Application to submit for certification. Data cannot be transferred to the actual application.
If you need assistance completing this section, email P33@apcointl.org
The contact information displayed below is the agency information on file with APCO International. If this information is incorrect, please make permanent changes to your APCO profile at the following link: https://www.myapcointl.org.
Person completing application:
Agency information:
Agency name:
Address:
Phone:
The information provided below will be submitted to APCO once the “final submit” is completed. You may select “print this application” to print a file for your records. Please note, completing this section and/or selecting the “print this application” does not submit the application to APCO.
Final Submit
Step 4: Initial review of submissionStep 5: Review
Step 6: The Declaration
After the completed application and supporting documentation has been submitted, the next steps include:
Step 4: Initial review by APCO for complete submission
Upon submission of these required materials, documentation and application fee, APCO International Staff will conduct an initial review of the material to check all materials have been received and steps completed as required by the application process. NOTE: The reviewers can only approve the program based upon the materials submitted. This requires strict reliance upon the applicant to submit all necessary documentation and materials. The initial review by APCO International Staff is designed to detect missing documentation or materials; however, it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all required documentation has been submitted. If staff detects any information is missing, the agency POC will be contacted to submit the information needed. Depending on the amount of missing documentation or completeness of the application, the submission date of the application may be changed to the date the application is deemed complete. It is extremely important for the agency to ensure completeness before final submission, especially if wanting to qualify for the early submission discount and/or to be considered for recognition at the upcoming APCO Annual Conference and Expo.
Step 5: Review
Subject Matter Experts will be assigned to review the application and supporting documentation for compliance with APCO ANS 3.103.1-2010.
Should the review reveal any deficiencies in the submitted material, the applicant will be contacted by email and given an opportunity to address these deficiencies by providing supplemental materials or correcting erroneous information in the current review cycle. This will be done by accessing the online application and uploading further information in the areas highlighted by red text. The colors of the tabs will also assist in navigating to these areas.
A deadline to complete the needed information will be included within the email. If documentation has not been received by the deadline, the review will be delayed and the agency will be contacted regarding possible next steps. A written request to extend the deadline may be requested by the agency, but it must be received before the deadline. Depending on when the application was submitted and how many requests for information preceded the outstanding inquiry, the application may be suspended for the next round of review or denied certification. Please refer to the APCO P33 Training Program Certification application Guidelines for more information.
The agency POC will receive an email stating when the review has been completed. The email will notify the agency that no further information is needed and the review has been completed. This will not include the results of the review, an official notification will be sent (see below).
Step 6: The Declaration
Upon completion of the review, the P33 Certification Sub-Committee will provide their recommendation for the Agency’s Training Program to the Call Center Standards Committee regarding APCO Project 33 Training Program Certification.
Approval A formal letter will be sent to the agency from the Chair of the Call Center Standards Committee notifying them of their certification award before July 1. Agencies achieving Training Program Certification will be recognized at the APCO International Annual Conference and Exposition, depending on when the application was submitted.
APCO International will produce a press release announcing the certification and assist the agency with planning public relations activities once APCO has made the official announcement. After certification has been achieved, the agency may place the certification mark on training materials, Web site and other approved items. Certification is good for three years from the date recognized at conference or until the standards have been updated, whichever happens first, never to exceed three years.
Denial of Certification
If certification is not granted, the agency will receive a formal letter from the Chair of the Call Center Standards Committee including information on deficiencies. If the review does not indicate the submitted program meets the standard or the submitted materials are otherwise lacking sufficient documentation to conduct a thorough review, the applicant shall receive notice of eligibility of an extension. No additional application fee is required. The applicant is solely responsible for making a formal request for the extension in writing to APCO International’s Comm Center & 9-1-1 Services Staff, 351 N. Williamson Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL 32114 within thirty (30) days of notification of certification denial. Agencies failing to receive certification after a second review will be required to reapply for certification in a subsequent review cycle and submit a second non-refundable application fee.
Final Submission
Please review the application, standards and supporting documentation and explanations provided for completeness before final submission. Once the final submit below is completed, the application cannot be accessed again until after the review.