Cycle Verification

Each community's program is reviewed based on a periodic cycle to confirm that its credited activities are still being implemented.

1. Cycle verifications are conducted every 5 years after the original application date for Class 6-9 communities. Class 1-5 communities are done on a 3-year cycle. The ISO/CRS Specialist may vary from this timetable when there is reason to believe that the community is no longer implementing all of its credited activities, or to combine the cycle verification with visits to nearby communities.

2. The cycle verification is based on the version of the CRS Coordinator's Manual currently in effect, not the one used for the original application.

3. The cycle verification is conducted by the ISO/CRS Specialist, who schedules a cycle verification visit. At that visit, the ISO/CRS Specialist reviews the community's program, verifies that the activities are being implemented, requests appropriate documentation, fills out the activity worksheets, and calculates the verified credit points in the same way as for a verification visit.

4. The community's CEO will be asked to certify the community's program by signing Activity Worksheet AW-230. If this cannot be done during the visit, it must be submitted to the ISO/CRS Specialist within 30 days of the visit.

5. The ISO/CRS Specialist's cycle verification report is processed in the same manner as a verification report.

Depending on its CRS Class, a community keeps its classification for three or five years after it took effect. One year before its classification lapses, the ISO/CRS Specialist will contact the community to schedule a cycle verification visit.

The cycle verification visit may be scheduled before or after the 3- or 5-year cycle. Some reasons for variation from this cycle include:

1. If the community has a new CRS Coordinator,

2. If the community requests an earlier visit to allow time to make corrections to its program before the verified class expires,

3. If the community would improve by at least one class due to a Schedule change, and

4. If time and costs can be substantially saved by combining the cycle verification visit with visits to neighboring communities. Such visits would be scheduled no more than one year earlier or later than the normal cycle visit and will be coordinated well in advance with all communities affected.

Cooperation by the community in scheduling and conducting the visit is vital in order to process the cycle verification in time. Delays and inadequate documentation may mean that the community's CRS classification will not be renewed in time.

During the visit, the ISO/CRS Specialist reviews changes in the CRS Coordinator's Manual since the last visit. The community's activities are reviewed, documented and scored. New activities and elements may be added. All activities are verified in accordance with the procedures of the verification process. The ISO/CRS Specialist reviews the findings at the exit interview.

The ISO/CRS Specialist collects all needed documentation that is available. Once the cycle verification papers are complete, the ISO/CRS Specialist forwards the cycle verification report for ISO review and submittal to FEMA.