Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Application for Initial Certification Instructions
BEFORE YOU BEGIN THIS APPLICATION: READ THESE IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS TO ENSURE YOU ARE READY TO SUBMIT.
This application must be completed and submitted by your program’s CART COORDINATOR. If you are not the coordinator, please ask that individual to complete this application directly.
PLEASE OBTAIN/PREPARE ANY MISSING INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTS BEFORE BEGINNING, AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE AN ‘IN PROGRESS’ VERSION OF THIS FORM.
- You will need to enter the names of all agencies/organizations which are part of your CART; be sure to have those agency names available.
- You will need a close/approximate count of the total number of team members overall.
- You will be required to upload TWO PDF files with this application (2 file limit).
- An after-action report from your team’s last tabletop/field training exercise or from your last actual callout/case; and
- A single file that combines all MOUs/agreements or lead agency letters of support. This can be accomplished by using Adobe Acrobat Professional or a similar program to combine multiple PDF files (i.e., individual letters/agreements) into a single file. If you are unsure how to do this, please consult administrative or technical staff from your agency for assistance.
If you have questions, contact the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) at askamber@fvtc.edu (Attn: AATTAP CART program coordinator) or by phone at 877-712-6237 before you submit this online application.
For complete information on the CART Certification process, download the CART Certification Manual and Agency Guide.
CART CERTIFICATION: BASIC INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND
CART Certification consists of a review of policies and protocols across the following areas, or standards:
- Response Criteria
- Team Composition
- Notification Protocol
- Communication
- Command and Control
- Search Operations
- Training
- Legal Issues
- Equipment Inventory
- Operational Protocols
- Victim Assistance and Reunification
- Community Education
Other documents which are reviewed as part of the CART Certification process include:
- Team Organizational Charts
- MOUs and/or Mutual Aid Agreements
- CART training records and/or after-action reports from both training exercises and actual incidents/callouts
CART Certification includes a mock field abduction exercise to test proficiency and capabilities of the CART program. Teams will be evaluated in response, policy compliance, operational capacity, and overall performance. Teams successfully completing the assessment, policy compliance standards, and all other certification requirements will receive official certification by the U.S. Department of Justice.