Recertification Policies and Procedures
I. Requirements for Recertification
(see section IV for form)
The AFTE Certification program requires
recertification every five years. The applicant must achieve
recertification through continuous training and the
demonstration of proficiency in the subject matter areas in
which the applicant is certified.
For all certified members:
Please remember that you are required to take a
proficiency test annually for each area you are
certified. For firearms and toolmarks the CTS exams
are readily available; however, there is no
commercially available GSR exam. Therefore, in-house
tests are acceptable as well external exams from
another laboratory. For those who do not use CTS as
their provider, you may use in-house or external
exams for firearms and toolmarks as well. Please use
the forms provided on this website to document your
exams.
Please remember your certification status is good
for a period of five years provided you remain a
member in good standing. You must apply for
recertification approximately 60 days prior to the
expiration of your certificate to avoid losing your
certified status.
|
The application must be made to the Certification Committee 60
days prior to certification expiration, as described in Section
II. Any member who does not meet the requirements for
recertification, will loose their current certification after
the expiration date on their certificate. To become recertified,
an application for certification must be submitted and all
qualifications and testing, or other requirements must be met.
Members seeking recertification must be working in the forensic
sciences. Work is defined as having job duties of performing and
reporting examinations, supervising those that perform/report
examinations, conducting research, developing methods or
training others in the subject matter areas.
Any member who falsifies recertification documentation is
subject to permanent loss of AFTE Membership. All applicants are
responsible for the accuracy of their documentation submitted
for recertification.
II. Continuing Education and Professional Development
Requirements
(see section IV for form)
Certified AFTE members must submit to the AFTE Certification
Committee Chairman, or his/her designee, a completed application
letter form, a re-certification points schedule form, a
recertification fee in the amount of $25 (USD) for each subject
matter area, made payable to AFTE, and documentation of the
following: A. At least 100 Continuing Education Units (CEU’s)
documenting training received, and at least 50 Continuing
Education Units (CEU’s) documenting training that was given,
which have been earned since the last
certification/recertification date for that subject matter area;
B. Documentation of successful participation in a proficiency
test in that subject matter area for each year since the last
certification/recertification date.
For purposes of earning CEU’s, the recertification period begins
with the date of the last certification/recertification in a
subject matter area. CEU’s earned over a five-year time period
may be applied to more than one subject matter area. Members who
obtain certification/recertification in more than one subject
matter area on the same approximate date may apply the same
CEU’s for all subject matter areas.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to maintain
appropriate documentation (letters, training certificates, etc.)
of training given and/or received to demonstrate CEU’s earned.
A Re-certification Points Schedule form must be submitted to the
Certification Committee Chairperson prior to application for
recertification for an informal review. The Certification
Committee is not responsible, however, for ensuring that an
applicant has sufficient continuing education units.
III. Continuing Education
(see section IV for form)
|
1. Training Received |
Minimum of 100 CEU Credits
[1 hour of training for 1 hour of credit] |
-
In-service
training (Federal, State, regional schools, workshops,
armorer schools, and seminars), in the selected
subdiscipline(s)
-
Attendance
at AFTE Annual Training Conference (actual papers/workshops
attended)
-
Attendance
at regional training conference related to selected subject
matter areas
-
Industry
tours, schools related to subject matter areas (e.g.,
manufacturing tours, armorer’s courses)
-
Attendance
at other forensic conferences/meetings related to subject
matter areas.
|
2. Training Provided* |
Minimum of 50 CEU Credits |
-
Technical paper presented at AFTE Annual
Training Conference
|
|
16 CEU’s/paper; 32 CEU’s max. |
-
Publication in AFTE Journal
(cannot be claimed in 2a, above)
|
|
16 CEU’s/paper; 32 CEU’s max.
8CEU’s/technical report; 16 CEU’s max.
|
-
Publication in other peer reviewed journal in
subject matter areas
|
|
16 CEU’s/paper; 32 CEU’s max. |
-
Book chapter authorship in subject matter areas
|
|
20 CEU’s/chapter; 40CEU’s max. |
-
Book authorship or editing in subject matter
areas
|
|
40 CEU’s/book; 40 CEU’s max. |
-
Coordinating workshop/seminar in subject matter
areas
|
|
8 CEU’s/day; 24 CEU’s max.
|
-
Training of examiner in selected subject matter
areas as primary instructor
|
|
24 CEU’s/yr.; 48 CEU’s max. |
*Training provided requires actual instruction time (not
supervision or administrative)
IV. Re-certification Documentation Form
Please complete and total all relevant training and activities
for the period from certification date to present using the
following form.
Re-Certification Documentation Form
Recertification Application Letter
8/20/06
www.afte.org
> AFTE Business >
Certification
> Recertification
