CAPR 60-3 Transition Guidance

With the introduction of new regulations and qualifications, there are always questions about how to transition and qualify personnel in new specialties when there are no current supervisors.  Hopefully this page will provide some answers for that.  We expect to update this page as questions are raised or changes occur.

For most new qualifications the wing commander or his or her designee will determine who of their current personnel meet the requirements for new specialties as they are released.  There are some qualifications that have been listed in this regulation with the understanding from command that training materials are being developed right now that will hopefully be released later in 2009.  The leadership did not want to delay the release of this regulation further as it incorporates several interim change letters and recent policies and suggestions that are critical to field operations.  As new qualifications are released commanders or their designees will be expected to .

Some qualifications will continue to be limited to NHQ CAP/DO and designees to approve and enter into Ops Quals.  This is for the ARCHER, CISM, and NOC Augmentee qualifications.  We expect that some of these will be delegated in the future as more instructors and key personnel are designated around the country, but that is not possible yet.

Some qualifications have been automatically changed or applied in Ops Quals.  Water Survival and the Mountain Flying Certifications have been tracked in other areas of Ops Quals until now, and those that had a current qualification (completed within the last 3 years) were automatically rolled over to the new qualification.  There are working groups updating and standardizing curriculum guidance for these areas, but until this is complete there is guidance for Mountain Flying on the HQ CAP/DOV website and for Water Survival under Education and Training on the HQ CAP/DOS (Ops Support) website.

Wing and Unit Alert Officers will also now be tracked in Ops Quals, but are not recorded on the 101 card.  Wing Alert Officers can only be approved by the Wing Commander, Director of Operations or Emergency Serfvices Officer.  Unit Alert Officers can only be approved for units below the wing level, and only by the Unit Commander, Operations Officer, or Emergency Services Officer.

20 AUG 2009 UPDATE - ANNOTATED TASKS FOR RENEWALS: Paragraph 2-4b(2)(a) refers to annotated tasks that members need to demonstrate or complete again from the SQTRs when renewing their mission qualifications.  Unfortunately, the process to outline these tasks and note them accordingly on the individual SQTRs has been delayed.  We expect that this will be available sometime in the summer of 2010, hopefully to coincide with the release of the combined 60-3/60-6, and version 3 of Ops quals or an interim update to version 2 of ops quals.  Until further notice, evaluators should test personnel on the advanced tasks listed on the SQTRs, but personnel are not required to complete courses over again like ICS 300 or 400.  These tasks do not need to be recorded in Ops Quals as replacing the currently recorded tasks alone will not trigger a new qualification to be sent forward for approval.  The single-person achievement module should be used instead to update the date of qualification.  We expect that documentation to support initial qualification as well as renewals will soon be able to be loaded as pdf files in ops quals version 2.0 to make this process easier for everyone. 

4 SEP 2009 UPDATE - AIRBORNE PHOTOGRAPHER (AP) AND AIRBORNE DIGITAL IMAGING SYSTEM OPERATOR (ADIS) QUALIFICATIONS: The new CAPR 60-3 allowed for the establishment of the above two specialties, and they will be available in Ops Quals next week for assignment on the CAPF 101.  Draft materials have been made available with the mission aircrew school curriculum at www.nesa.cap.gov, but a formal SQTR will not be issued until a curriculum working group finalizes the materials, hopefully in mid to late FY2010.  Until that is done, wing commanders and their designees may use their discretion to authorize qualifications for personnel currently filling these roles and operating associated systems. Wings are encouraged to use the draft materials available and provide feedback as we expect that will be the baseline for the final SQTRs and qualification requirements that personnel will be tested against for qualification and renewal in the future. 

30 SEP 2009 UPDATE - NEW CAPT 116 RELEASED: Normally all personnel currently holding valid CAPF 101 cards must re-take the CAPT 116 within 180 days of issuance of a new examination to remain current. Since the latest version, September 2009, was issued on an interim regulation, currently qualified personnel will not be required to re-take this version. When the new regulation combining CAPR 60-3 and CAPR 60-6 is completed, a new exam will be issued, and all qualified personnel will be required to complete it then.  For those personnel that do need to take it, the new CAPT 116 is available at: https://tests.cap.af.mil/newtests/test.cfm?grp=dos

14 OCT 2009 UPDATE - NIMS TRAINING: Several questions have been asked about National Incident Management System (NIMS) training lately, so we are posting this update: 
- Who is required to complete NIMS training?  All personnel with emergency services specialty qualifications above the General Emergency Services (GES) level have some NIMS training requirements, and most only have online course requirements.  The courses required are outlined on the NIMS page at: /index.cfm?action=controller.viewPage&pageID=10871.

- Where can I find theses courses? National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training is not provided on the CAP Website nor is it automatically uploaded to CAP databases automatically.  Most courses are provided through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Emergency Management Institute  (EMI)online at: http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp.  Some like ICS 300 and ICS 400 are provided in-person/in-residence at the state and local level.

- Why doesn't this training roll directly into Ops Quals? Unfortunately we cannot aurtomatically roll this training in to Ops Quals, as DHS does not provide a data transfer option for any agency at this time.  Personnel must provide documentation of completion (copies of certiificates, email notifications of completion, EMI transcripts, etc.) to their unit commander, operations officer, emergency services officer or their designees in order for them to record it and credit to be given in Ops Quals and on the CAPF 101.  National Headquarters only records NIMS training in Ops Quals for personnel assigned to National Headquarters and those completing training like ICS-300 or ICS-400 at national schools like the National Emergency Services Academy (NESA).

- If I didn't complete my NIMS training, do I lose my emergency services qualifications?  Your qualifications were not deleted, but you were put into what is essentially a supervised trainee status until you complete the required NIMS training as appropriate for the qualifications you hold, and that is reflected in data downloads from NHQ as well as on your CAPF 101.

- I'm having difficulty finding ICS 300 or 400 courses in my area.  Do you know of any?  Most ICS 300 and 400 training is conducted by state and local agencies a few times a year, and CAP National Headquarters cannot track those courses unfortuantely.  CAP NHQ has arranged for qualified instructors to conduct courses for wings and regions, and also hosts this training in conjunction with NESA and the national conference.  If wings or regions need assistance lining up this training, please contact NHQ CAP/DO at do@capnhq.gov or look at the scheduled events on the NESA website at www.nesa.cap.gov.

2 NOVEMBER 2009 UPDATE - OPS QUALS SQTR: Several members have asked about differences noted between the SQTRs in Ops Quals and the SQTRs found in the back of the task guides available online and from Vanguard.  These differences are primarily due to recent requirements for NIMS training, Aircraft Ground Handling, and such that ahve been added since the task guides were published.  To make it clear for the membership, in accordance with CAPR 60-3, the current requirements for training and qualification in any emergency services specialty qualification will be found in the task guides online in Ops Quals.  There is a project under way to update the task guides and training requirements, and in the future we expect the SQTRs themselves will not be in the tasks guides at all.  Unfortunately, new task guides will likely not be available until late in FY10 or FY11, and members will need to use the published task guides in reference with the SQTRs in Ops Quals in order to qualify appropriately.

14 DECEMBER 2009 UPDATE - SET IN OPS QUALS: Unfortunately, it doesn't look the functionality to denote specific specialties for the SET achievement will be available with Ops Quals Version 2.0 as originally anticipated.  The IT staff will work this later in FY10, hopefully having it ready in late spring or early summer.  Until this is tested and released, wings should continue to use SET as it has been in Ops Quals, and if a wing needs to limit key personnel this can be accomplished through normal supplement or waiver procedures.

1 MARCH 2010 UPDATE - CERT TRAINING: Some personnel have been confused by the requirements on the SQTR for both classroom and practical trainng for CERT.  The intention is to require personnel to complete the CERT class in accordance with DHS' published guidance to its trainers, not for CAP to develop its own classroom or practical training.  CERT training as outlined has a somewhat flexible schedule, and in some areas the training may be completed in several back to back days of classroom lecture followed by practical skills immediately, while in other areas classroom training is conducted in short sessions over potentially the course of months, and then practical training is completed.  Either way is acceptable to CAP.  CAP is recognizing members that have successfullly completed CERT training as outlined by DHS.  Additionally, the IS-317 course does not meet the requirements for qualification; though useful information often used in conjunction with a full class, it does not meet the requirements intended for qualification per CAPR 60-3.