In order to obtain credentialing cards for the first responders in your municipality, each group or agency in your municipality must select an agency coordinator to be responsible for the credentialing card application process. Municipal OEM Coordinators should discuss with the head of each group or agency in your municipality which member thereof will be the best person to assign to the task of agency coordinator. The Municipal OEM Coordinator and the head of each group or agency should review the documents found on the Agency Coordinator Information section to aid in the decision process. Please keep in mind that no credentialing card can be issued without a group or agency having an agency coordinator in place. The duties of an agency coordinator are essential to the process.
Municipal OEM Coordinators may delegate the selection of agency coordinators to agency heads or participate in the process.
A significant obligation accompanies your coordinator duties. The verification of the identity of each agency member who is to receive an ID card is of paramount importance. Since this verification of identity will require each agency coordinator to have access to sensitive personal information of the agency members, each agency coordinator must be willing to have his or her own identity verified and criminal history background checked. This will be accomplished via “live scan” fingerprinting done by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, at no charge to the individual. Each agency coordinator will be responsible for the verification of the applicant’s identity, in addition to the verification of the applicant’s qualifications, as addressed below. Thus the agency coordinator who signs each application form to verify the accuracy of all information contained thereon bears the responsibility of accuracy. With that responsibility goes the final authority to decide whether or not a particular agency member has his or her application for an ID card approved and submitted to the County.
It is suggested that each agency review its methods of identity verification and, if necessary, upgrade its method to meet a level of verification that the agency is satisfied with as meeting a reasonable standard of verification. Agency coordinators will be required to verify an identification vetting level for each applicant. Vetting levels are described as follows:
Agency coordinators are responsible for the security of the information contained on the applications and the physical security of the applications themselves when they are under their control. Much of the information contained on the applications is sensitive and must be safeguarded from unauthorized access and/or use.
In addition to the identity verification, agency coordinators are also responsible for the verification of the training records contained on the applications. Such verification shall be accomplished by comparing training listed on applications with actual documentation of completion of training listed on applications. The actual documentation must exist in the personnel files of the agencies involved.
Agency coordinators must communicate with their respective agency heads regarding the verification of the information on the applications. Agency heads must review the verification of the application information and agree with the agency coordinator that all application information is accurate. Accuracy verification is the responsibility of both persons and the signatures of both persons place the responsibility for that verification on both persons.
Agency coordinators are responsible for maintaining and storing the completed applications once the ID cards have been issued. Storage must be in a secure location, keeping them permanently available for authorized review by appropriate persons only. Authorized review by appropriate persons must be approved by County credentialing personnel prior to such review. Applications are subject to audit and review at the discretion of Credentialing personnel or their supervisors.
Application forms are available on the Somerset County website, under the OEM section. Printed copies of these forms are the only forms to be used for receiving applicant information for verification by agency coordinators and agency heads. No other application forms are to be used. No changes are to be made to the application forms as provided on the website.
Applications will require the signatures of the respective agency heads. Agency coordinators must be sure that all applications have the original signatures of the respective agency heads, along with original signatures of the applicants and the agency coordinators themselves.
Agency coordinators will contact County personnel when a given number of applications have been appropriately approved and are ready for delivery to County personnel. Delivery of applications to County personnel will be determined by mutual agreement. Number of applications to be noticed to County personnel will be determined by mutual agreement.
County personnel will enter the information from the applications into the County database. County personnel will notify the agency coordinator to arrange for a date or dates when agency personnel can come to a County facility for photographing, thumb printing, and taking of signatures. Subsequently, County personnel will notify the agency coordinator to arrange for the return of the applications and the finished, printed ID cards for the agency.
The agency coordinator will then store the applications as described in the Standard Operating Guidelines and issue the finished, printed ID cards to agency members.
If you are willing to serve as an agency coordinator for your group or agency, please review the informational packet that contains the following documents: