Accreditation and Standards Compliance
Offering aviation unit accreditation services, APSAC works with public safety aviation units to ensure all standards are met and maintained.
The Commission provides accreditation services for recognition of aviation units' compliance with our developed standards. As an accrediting body, our standards provide for the priority of 'Safety First' within all aspects of the operation, as well as quality aviation services to the host agency. Applications to become accredited include a self-assessment, an on-site assessment and a commission review.
Units begin with a self-assessment gap analysis and review our established standards against their standard operating procedures to determine compliance, as well as any areas in need for updating or upgrades. Upon completion, a written report is submitted to us spelling how all standards are being met.
Upon validation, a team of assessors will verify the compliance as measured against our standards. If deficiencies are found, our team will work with you to bring everything into full compliance.
Program
The intent of the Accreditation Program is to encourage safe, efficient and accident free aviation operations in support of public safety missions. The Accreditation Program is designed to objectively evaluate and certify a unit’s overall compliance with the Standards as developed and adopted by APSAC. The Commission recognizes and accepts its responsibility to fairly review and evaluate the relevancy and applicability of the standards as they apply to each unit evaluated.
The entire voluntary process of becoming accredited can generally be divided into two parts: 1) adoption of the standards and; 2) the unit application and assessment process. The standards, as outlined in the adopted Standards Manual, are the building blocks from which everything else evolves. The unit assessment process of accreditation provides a blueprint by which a unit can build the standards into a solid base of operation that provides a vital safety structure and becomes a measuring device of excellence, quality, safety and effective service.
The assessment process also provides an orderly system of inspection, reports and recommendations to those going through the program and ensures that APSAC can recognize professional achievement and compliance with standards in a consistent and uniform manner. There are five phases in the accreditation process: Application; Self-assessment; On-site Assessment; Commission Review; and, Maintaining Compliance through re-accreditation.
Once accredited, the Commission furnishes the agency with a Certificate of Accreditation and encourages the agency to arrange for a formal presentation ceremony with the agency Department Head. Accreditation is valid for a period of three years.
Accreditation Fee Schedule
The fees listed are all inclusive. There are no additional charges for assessor(s) fees, except those listed below.
| Category | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1 Site (1 - 2 Aircraft) | $ 5,000.00 |
| B | 1 Site (3 - 5 Aircraft) | $ 6,250.00 |
| C | 1 Site (6 - 8 Aircraft) | $ 7,500.00 |
| D | 1 Site (9 or More Aircraft) | $ 8,750.00 |
| E | 2 Sites (Less than 9 Aircraft) | $10,000.00 |
| F | 2 Sites (Less Than 15 Aircraft) | $11,250.00 |
| G | 2 Sites (15 Aircraft or More) | $12,500.00 |
| H | 2 or Less Sites (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems [RPAS]) | $ 5,000.00 |
| I | More than 2 sites – Fee shall be the basic cost for accreditation for the applicable 2-site category plus an additional 15% per site visited, as agreed upon to cover costs of additional assessor services. |
All figures are in US dollars.
For international accreditation assessments outside of North America, there shall be a 15% surcharge, plus the actual cost of assessor travel.
For Multiple Accreditations – The cost for multiple concurrent manned aircraft accreditation is $1,750.00 for each additional accreditation segment (ABLE/SAR/Fire).
BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION
The following are some of the major benefits of accreditation:
- Safe and Efficient Public Safety Aviation Operations
Compliance with accreditation standards provides agencies with a guidepost and foundation upon which a culture of safe operating practices may be formulated and a marker of excellence established to further develop and enhance the aviation unit’s professionalism, economic efficiency and overall effectiveness.
- Greater accountability within the agency
Accreditation standards provide the department head a proven management system of written policies and directives, safe operating practices, sound training principles, personnel qualification requirements, clearly defined lines of authority, and examples of accepted industry standards that support decision-making and resource allocation.
- Controlled liability insurance costs
Accredited status may allow agencies greater flexibility when purchasing aviation and liability insurance; increase the limit of their insurance coverage; and, in many cases, could result in lower premiums, or other financial incentives.
- Stronger support from government officials
Accredited agencies establish credibility as a professional aviation operation, providing safe, cost effective and essential aviation support to law enforcement operations in a variety of missions.
- Increased aviation community advocacy
Accreditation embodies the precepts of 'Safety First'. It creates a forum in which public safety agencies, the NTSB and the FAA work together to prevent accidents and control challenges confronting public safety aviation and provides clear direction regarding regulatory expectations.
Contact APSAC to learn more about our public safety aviation accreditation process.
