Accredit Your Training Program to Comply with National Standards
Initial and continuing training is exceedingly important for public safety telecommunicators because they provide essential services in an ever-expanding and rapidly changing public safety environment.
Building and implementing a successful agency training program requires many resources and dedication. APCO’s Agency Training Program Accreditation, an initiative of Project 33®, provides a way for public safety agencies to have their training programs accredited to meet APCO American National Standards (ANS). An agency’s curriculum, training materials, and supporting documentation are carefully evaluated for compliance.
Prerequisites for Applying for Accreditation
Agencies that wish to achieve the APCO Agency Training Program Accreditation must follow a specific process to educate and prepare them for completing their application.
The agency must:
- Review the rules and procedures that guide the accreditation process
- Download and read the appropriate APCO ANS
- Complete a pre-application online training program.
After completing the prerequisites, an agency is allowed to proceed to purchasing the application.
Submitting your agency’s training program for APCO accreditation shows that your agency is committed to training and to meeting national standards.
Receiving accreditation for your training program is a major accomplishment for the agency, its staff and the community it serves.
Questions?
Is it possible for two people to log on and work with the tools at the same time?
No. When purchasing access to the online application, only one profile per application will be permitted. Each agency must designate the person responsible for completing the application and purchase the application through that person’s MY APCO account.
What is the cost?
The cost to apply for accreditation is $650.00 for APCO Agency Group Members and $700.00 for APCO Individual members and non-members. Once all prerequisites are completed, the agency may proceed to the payment and access the online application.
What are the deadlines?
Applications are accepted year-round. All applications must be submitted within one year from the date of purchase. After one year, the application expires.
APCO Conference Recognition: Agencies receiving accreditation are recognized at the APCO Annual Conference and Exposition. Agencies wishing to be recognized at the next conference must complete and submit the application and all supporting documentation by December 1 of the year preceding the conference As an example, if your agency would like to be recognized at the APCO 2026 Annual Conference, the application must be submitted by December 1, 2025.
Applications received after December 1 will be considered for recognition at the conference held the following year.
For example: If an application is submitted in January 2026, it will be eligible for recognition at the APCO 2027 conference.
How long is my accreditation valid?
Agency Training Program Accreditation is valid for three years.
How do I renew accreditation for my agency?
The procedure for renewing accreditation is the same as for initial accreditation. All prerequisites, application fee, and relevant documentation are required.
Does this program accredit individuals?
No, it only accredits non-commercial public safety communications training programs.
Where can I get more information on APCO’s standards?
Are there any tips that will help me complete the online application?
- When you first open the application, complete the “Application” tab. This ensures that your application can be “seen” in the system.
- Explanation text is necessary for the review team to fully understand your training program. Please be sure to use this field to indicate document names and page numbers so that the team can readily identify the information. It is not necessary to copy information from attached documents and place it in the explanation field.
- It is highly recommended that you draft all information offline and save it on your computer. When completing the online application, copy and paste the text into the “Explanation” box and attach required documentation.
- Be sure to read the criteria thoroughly. Many areas of the application will require multiple documents to satisfy the standard.
- All documents submitted must be current and completed. You may redact names and other identifying information as needed. Blank documents will not be accepted.
- Documentation must be attached to the correct section(s) of the application. Some documents may be useful in multiple areas of the application.
Does the system save my data?
The save function is a manual process in the application. Your data will not automatically be saved. We recommend that you use the save function often as you complete the application. The application portal will time out after a period of inactivity, saving often will help to ensure that your data is not lost if this happens. The “save” function will save your information and allow you to continue working through the application. The “save and quit” function will save your information and log you out of the application portal.
For more information or questions, please contact [email protected].
