Arizona Qualification System

Image of Arizona Qualification System logo. It is Arizona shaped map with gold outline. AQS (in blue)  Arizona Qualification Sytem (in red) and State of Arizona seal inside the map (in gold). Qualified star Certified star Credentialed.

The Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) Arizona Qualification System (AQS) establishes guidance and tools to assist State, Local, and Tribal (SLT) Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and Incident Command Organizations in developing qualified, certified, and credentialed deployable emergency personnel. The AQS is a voluntary system that has been established to support efficient state-wide deployment of personnel.

Overview

The AQS establishes a process for an effective and consistent statewide system that aligns with national standards to ensure a readiness to respond with qualified personnel. The AQS encourages local agencies to perpetuate all-hazards training and build a foundation of credentialed all-hazards personnel. Additionally, the AQS affords local management access to the resources needed to manage/support Emergency Operations Center’s and Incident Command Organizations effectively and safely within their own jurisdictional boundaries as per National Incident Management System (NIMS) standards.

 

An Illustration of Concept of Operations. There are 3 boxes with arrows pointing to the next steps, explaining Qualification, Certification and Credential Process:  Qualification Trainee completes prerequisites and Position Task Book Agency Having Jurisdiction initiates PTB Certification Officer reviews PTB  Certification Quality Control Officer reviews PTB Qualification Review Board provides recommendation Agency Having Jurisdiction certifies PTB, returns to QCO  Credential Quality Control Officer verifies

01 AQS Overview
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02 AQS Responsibilities of the AHJ
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03 AQS Position Task Book Process
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04 AQS The Roles of Mentors and Evaluators
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05 AQS The Roles of the CO and QCO
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06 AQS Supporting Software
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06 AQS Supporting Software
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Supporting Mutual Aid

Sharing emergency resources among jurisdictions and organizations is an important emergency preparedness strategy used throughout the nation. Utilizing the AQS to qualify, certify and credential personnel allows an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to share a common framework of defined minimum capabilities with other entities. This common framework makes the sharing of emergency resources through the process of mutual aid both possible and practical.

DEMA will maintain a database of qualified personnel that can be dispatched to incidents with AQS credentials to better serve Arizona communities during emergencies and disaster response. The AQS is designed to incorporate all agencies and organizations that have active roles in emergency management including, but not limited to public safety, emergency management, public works, public health, technical specialists, private sector, volunteer, and non-governmental organizations (NGO). 

 

Qualification Review Board (QRB)

The AQS will establish and maintain a state QRB. A QRB is a panel of subject-matter experts, representing the AHJs, that is capable of evaluating a trainee’s ability to fulfill the duties of a completed AQS Position Task Book. 

A QRB is an essential component of a performance-based system that objectively reviews and validates trainees’ worthiness for certification and credentialing. The AQS will establish a state QRB encompassing the state’s counties, tribes, and local jurisdictions. See Publication link for QRB Document. 

A photo of an evaluator (wearing a green vest) signing off the AQS form while holding binders underneath the paper form.