This
document summarizes the policies and procedures by which NCRC National
Seminars shall be organized and conducted.
Purpose
of National Seminars
National
seminars are intended to provide the highest caliber of instruction and to
reflect the broad range of skills represented by NCRC instructors worldwide.
They serve important roles in development of instructors and instructor
candidates. They must be widely publicized, soundly organized, and uphold
the national curriculum.
Purpose
of Regional Seminars
Regional
seminars are intended to train the bulk of cave rescue resources.
Instructors may be recruited locally and, while national curriculum must be
followed, it is expected that curriculum modifications will be made to
reflect local needs and conditions.
Training
Levels Restricted to National Seminars
NCRC
Level III and Instructor Qualification courses are generally offered only at
National Seminars, as these courses serve as the immediate precursors to
instructor certification. Authorization to teach
NCRC Level III or Instructor Qualification courses at regional seminars may
be granted only by the NCRC Board of Regional Coordinators, except in the
event a national seminar is cancelled or re-designated as a regional event
(see next section). In this rare case, a Level III and/or Instructor
Qualification course may be taught that year at a regional seminar at the
discretion of the NCRC Training Coordinator. Instructors for Level
III shall be appointed by the NCRC Training Coordinator.
National
vs. Regional Status
In
the event a proposed national seminar fails to attain adequate enrollment to
cover expected costs, the NCRC Training Coordinator, in coordination with
the NCRC National Coordinator and the host Region, shall have the purview to
change the seminar to regional status. This would serve primarily to remove
the requirement that a core group of instructors have their meal plan and
on-site lodging fees waived, thus
reducing seminar cost. Regional seminar policies would apply, impacting fees
and allowing the host region to retain any profit generated. However,
instructor candidates would not be trained. The decision to re-designate a
seminar from national to regional status shall occur no later than 45 days
prior to the seminar in question.
Selection
of Seminar Sites
National
seminar sites shall be chosen by the Board of Regional Coordinators. Any
Region wishing to host a national seminar shall submit its bid to the BORC
at a winter meeting at least two full years prior to the proposed seminar
date. The BORC shall award host status based on the following criteria (not
listed in order of importance): expected attendance, availability of
instructors, cost, suitability of facilities, proximity to airports/ease of
access, access to caves and other sites needed to accomplish curriculum
objectives, area/region’s training needs, extent to which location would
further the NCRC’s goals & objectives. The BORC may identify a second
location and site coordination team as a backup site, to be used in the
event a primary site proves infeasible.
[Note
that the Board of Regional Coordinators voted at its February 2005 meeting
to transition to use of fixed training sites for national seminars for three
of every four years. Fixed sites would be utilized for the first three years
in a cycle, with the fourth year open for bid. This is intended to reduce
the complexity involved in organizing and managing site logistics. The fixed
sites are still under evaluation, and none have been officially designated
at this time.]
Site
Coordination vs. Training Coordination
The
host region and its site coordination team shall be responsible for locating
the site of the seminar, identifying and gaining access to caves and other
training sites, arranging use of facilities, securing food services,
adequate lodging, and transportation for students once on site, and
otherwise supporting the logistical needs of the training event. The host
region is responsible for developing an acceptable budget and promoting the
event. Following the event the host region must promptly settle all
applicable bills and submit a final accounting, fees, and any unallocated
revenues, to the NCRC national office within 60 days of the seminar’s
completion.
The
national organization is responsible for curriculum design and
administration, certification of instructors, instructor assignments,
certificates of participation or completion, evaluation of teaching and
student satisfaction. The NCRC Training Coordinator, or his designee(s),
shall represent the NCRC during the seminar, oversee instruction and
curriculum, and resolve any questions concerning content or training
activities.
Quality
Control (Amended February 2, 2008)
An Instructor Update shall
be required prior to each national and regional seminar, and shall apply to
Level 1 and higher seminars, but not to Small Party Self Rescue or
Orientation to Cave Rescue events.
The content of the Update
shall be defined by the Training Coordinator or his/her designee and shall
include an overview of policies, procedures and curriculum changes that have
occurred within the last 3 years, and any other material determined by the
Training Coordinator or BORC as necessary for inclusion.
The coordinator or lead
instructor of the proposed course must include a request for an Instructor
Update in his/her seminar authorization request packet, and must clearly
describe any requests for exemption (whether for the seminar in full or for
individual instructors/specialists).
The training coordinator
may authorize an exemption to this policy if, in his/her opinion, reasonable
accommodations have been made to ensure all participating
instructors/specialists will be fully informed of current NCRC policies,
procedures and curriculum relevant to said instructor/specialists’
assignments during the seminar.
The
course coordinator/lead instructor shall, in a timely manner, provide to the
database manager a list of NCRC instructors who completed the Instructor
Update.
Lead
instructors for each level must complete written evaluations of other NCRC
instructors teaching under their authority.
Budget
A
draft budget shall be developed by the seminar site coordinator and
submitted to the National Coordinator & Financial Officer by January 1
at least one full year prior to the seminar. The budget shall be based upon
actual costs where predictable, and best estimates of other items. It shall
be formatted in accordance with the most recent version of the NCRC chart of
accounts. The budget must be approved by the NSS treasurer or his designee
before the seminar can proceed.
Site
coordinators shall make diligent efforts to minimize the cost of national
seminars, while maintaining seminar quality. Neither the site coordinator
nor the host region shall benefit monetarily from the national seminar. All
income in excess of expenses shall be returned to the NCRC national account.
Insurance
Any
approved NCRC seminar is covered under the NSS liability insurance policy,
at no additional cost, provided the NSS office has been notified of said
seminar in advance. This policy covers only above-ground activities, not
those conducted below-ground. Proof of insurance, if required, can be
obtained from the NSS office and should be requested well in advance of the
seminar’s start date.
Seminar
Dates and Details
The
seminar’s dates, location, estimated cost, and registration details shall
be announced by June 1 at least one full year prior to the seminar, and
brochures shall be available for distribution at this time.
Promotion of National Seminars
Site coordinators of national seminars shall promote them as
broadly as possible. This includes posting the event in the NSS News and on
the NCRC web site, advertising by direct mail to previous NCRC students, and
proactively seeking out and utilizing other promotional media.
Accounting
The
host region or site coordination team shall open a separate checking account
to handle seminar funds, in accordance with NSS account policy (see policy
on Regional Checking Accounts and note below), by June 1 at least one full
year prior to the seminar. The account shall be used to collect all revenue
and pay all expenses. It shall be closed no later than 90 days after the
seminar’s conclusion, unless the NCRC Financial Officer extends this
deadline. Upon closure, any unallocated revenues shall be forwarded to the
NCRC for deposit in the NCRC national account.
Receipts
shall be issued to each paying party, and shall be obtained for each
expense. A detailed accounting, following the format of the most recent
version of the NCRC chart of accounts, shall be provided to the NCRC
Financial Officer within 60 days of the seminar’s conclusion. It shall
provide a complete and organized record of all income and expenses
attributable to the seminar. Receipts for expenses shall be attached. The
Financial Officer may authorize an extension of this deadline if need is
demonstrated by the site coordinator.
Note:
It takes about three months to obtain the necessary signatures for an NSS
account. Start the process in early March to ensure it will be open by June
1. Check with your bank to see if out-of-state signers must each have the
form notarized, and determine if notary language needs to be on the form in
advance.
Applicable
Fees
The
National seminar site coordinator shall budget for and collect the following
fees:
·
an equipment fee of $35 per student
·
a
curriculum development fee of $15 per student
·
and
an administrative fee of $5 per student
These
fees are in addition to any other costs associated with the seminar
(including the cost of transporting the NCRC equipment cache to the seminar
site). They shall be remitted to the NCRC, for deposit in the NCRC national
account, no later than 60 days after conclusion of the national seminar.
Unallocated
Revenues
Any
unallocated revenues resulting from a National seminar shall be remitted to
the NCRC national account at the time the seminar checking account is
closed.
Instructor
Expenses
The
site coordinator shall budget for, and offset, the on-site costs of the
core/lead instructors (as designated by the NCRC Training Officer – see
below) plus other key support staff, to the maximum extent feasible. The
budget shall include funding to waive tuition, meal plan, and reasonable
lodging costs for these persons. Travel to and from the seminar site, meal
costs in excess of that provided by the meal plan, or lodging expenses in
excess the event’s lodging plan shall remain the responsibility of the
instructor or staff member. If seminar income is insufficient to cover all
costs, instructors and staff shall have their expenses offset to the extent
possible, while ensuring the seminar does not develop a negative balance.
Instructors or staff who qualify for cost waivers but participate for only a
portion of the seminar will have their waivers prorated. Instructors not
specifically designated as part of the core instruction group for the
seminar will be responsible for the costs of their meals and lodging.
Selection
of Instructors
The
NCRC Training Coordinator shall recruit experienced instructors for lead
teaching and evaluation roles well in advance of the seminar, and recruit
additional instructors (beyond the core group) sufficient to maintain a 1:5
instructor-to-student ratio. The NCRC training officer shall make instructor
assignments for the seminar at least 90 days prior to the seminar, and shall
provide class assignment materials to instructors at least 30 days prior to
the seminar.
Other
NCRC instructors are encouraged to attend national seminars, but will not
have their meals and lodging subsidized. The seminar host may require them
to register in advance in order to anticipate meal/lodging requirements.
All instructors attending
national seminars must respect the Training Coordinator's assignments.
Youth Participation
Youth (under age 18) may participate in NCRC training events only
if the following requirements are met:
- The
youth must, in the opinion of the lead instructor, have sufficient
physical, emotional, and mental maturity to perform safely and
effectively as a member of the class.
- The
youth’s primary guardian(s) must sign the NCRC liability waiver in the
presence of the event’s lead instructor. If a primary guardian cannot
sign the course documentation in the presence of the lead instructor,
their signature must be notarized. The primary guardian(s) must also
provide the lead instructor with a medical status summary and authorize
NCRC to seek medical treatment for the youth if deemed necessary.
- An
adult must accompany them in the class, in such a manner to ensure the
adult will be physically near the youth throughout the training
activities. Preferably the adult should be enrolled as a co-student, but
other arrangements may be allowed at the discretion of the lead
instructor. (An adult participating in another level or subgroup would
not qualify as an accompanying adult). If the accompanying adult is not
the youth’s primary guardian, the primary guardian must provide the
lead instructor with a written statement identifying the person who will
accompany the youth and designating him or her to act as temporary
guardian during the course. This statement must be signed in the
presence of the lead instructor or notarized.
Use of NCRC Logo
Use of the NCRC logo for national seminar promotion and
correspondence is encouraged. However, use of the logo, or any close
facsimile, for items of apparel (hats, shirts, jackets, etc.) is strictly
prohibited. Apparel items should clearly indicate their association with the
specific training event for which they are produced. These restrictions are
intended to prevent the wearers from misrepresenting themselves
(intentionally or accidentally) as “members” of the NCRC or conveying
the impression that NCRC is a “rescue group.”
Timeline
of Activities
·
Winter
BORC meeting two years prior to seminar – host presents bid to NCRC BORC
·
January
1 at least one full year prior to seminar – host submits budget to NCRC
and NSS
·
March
1 at least one full year prior to seminar – host initiates process to open
seminar checking account
·
June
1 at least one year prior to seminar – host announces seminar, makes
brochure available
·
90
days prior to seminar – Training Coordinator makes instructor assignments
·
45
days prior to seminar – Training Coordinator makes national vs. regional
decision
·
30
days prior to seminar – Training Coordinator distributes teaching
materials to instructors
·
Seminar
occurs
·
60
days after seminar – host presents detailed accounting to NCRC Financial
Officer and remits fees to NCRC
·
90
days after seminar – host closes seminar checking account and remits
unallocated revenues to NCRC