Record & Certification Templates

Record Templates define the qualifications, certifications, and compliance records your agency tracks. Templates standardize how records are created, what fields are required, and when expiration notifications are sent.

Why Templates Matter

Templates are required before you can:

• Add certifications or records to team members
• Configure Agency Specialties (which require specific certifications)
• Track expiration dates and receive notifications

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What Templates Do

Templates serve as blueprints for the records your team members will have:

Function	Description
Standardize Data	Ensure consistent naming and required fields across all records
Set Defaults	Pre-fill common values (issuing organization, training hours, etc.)
Lock Fields	Prevent users from modifying certain values
Track Expirations	Automatically calculate expiration dates and send notifications
Enable Specialties	Certifications are required to activate Agency Specialties

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Record Types

RAM supports multiple types of records, not just certifications. When creating a template, first choose the record type:

For People (Team Members)

Record Type	Use For	Example
Certification	Professional qualifications	CPR/AED, SARTECH II, EMT
Training Record	Completed training courses	NIMS 100, Rope Ops, HazMat Awareness
Background Check	Security clearances and checks	FBI Background, State Criminal Check
License	Professional licenses	Paramedic License, Driver's License
Insurance	Personal liability coverage	Professional Liability Insurance
Medical Record	Health records	Annual Physical, Fitness Assessment
Other	Anything else	Custom compliance records

For Animals (K9/Working Animals)

Record Type	Use For	Example
Certification	Animal certifications	SAR Certification, Tracking Certification
Training Record	Training completion	Obedience Training, Scent Training
Vaccination	Immunizations	Rabies, DHPP, Bordetella
Medical Record	Health records	Annual Exam, Hip X-Ray
License	Animal licenses	County Dog License
Insurance	Animal coverage	K9 Liability Insurance
Other	Anything else	Custom records

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Accessing Templates

1. Navigate to Agency Settings → Certification/Record Settings in the left menu
2. You'll see the Record Templates tab

Required Permissions: Administrator or Training Coordinator

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Creating a Template

Step 1: Start a New Template

Click the New Template button in the upper right corner.

Step 2: Choose Subject Type

Select who this template applies to:

• Person — For team member records
• Animal — For working animal records (K9, horses, etc.)

Cannot Change Later

Subject Type cannot be changed after the template is created.

Step 3: Select Record Type

Choose the type of record this template will create:

• Certification
• Training Record
• Background Check
• License
• Insurance
• Medical Record
• Vaccination (Animals only)
• Other

Cannot Change Later

Record Type cannot be changed after the template is created.

Step 4: Enter Basic Information

Field	Required	Description
Template Name	Yes	What members see when adding records (e.g., "CPR/AED", "NIMS 100")
Assignment Type	Yes	How this record is assigned (see below)
Description	No	Explain what this certification is and who needs it

Assignment Types Explained

Type	Behavior
Required	Automatically assigned to all team members. Shows as "missing" until completed.
Optional	Members can add this record themselves from their profile.
Restricted	Only administrators can assign this record to members.

Step 5: Set Default Values

Default values pre-fill fields when members create records from this template. The available fields depend on the Record Type you selected:

Common Fields (All Record Types)

Field	Description
Issuing Organization	Who issues this certification (e.g., "American Red Cross", "NASAR")
Location	Where training/certification typically occurs
Instructor	Default instructor name
Expiry Period (months)	How long until the record expires. Leave blank if it doesn't expire.

Certification & Training Record Fields

Field	Description
Training Hours	Number of hours required for this training
Certification Level	Level designation (e.g., "Level I", "Technician", "Instructor")

Background Check Fields

Field	Description
Check Type	Type of background check (FBI, State, Local, etc.)
Clearance Level	Security clearance level if applicable

Medical Record Fields

Field	Description
Veterinarian	For animal records - default vet name
Clinic Name	For animal records - default clinic

Vaccination Fields (Animals)

Field	Description
Vaccine Type	Type of vaccine (Rabies, DHPP, Bordetella, etc.)
Manufacturer	Vaccine manufacturer
Batch Number	Lot/batch number template
Veterinarian	Default vet name
Clinic Name	Default clinic

Step 6: Configure Field Locking

Each default value field has a lock icon on the right side:

Icon State	Meaning
Unlocked (open padlock)	Default value is a suggestion — members can change it
Locked (closed padlock)	Value is enforced — members cannot modify it

When to lock fields:

• Lock Issuing Organization when only one organization issues this certification
• Lock Training Hours when the hours are standardized
• Lock Expiry Period when expiration is set by regulation (e.g., CPR is always 2 years)

When to leave unlocked:

• Location may vary by training session
• Instructor changes between sessions

Step 7: Set Notification Timing

Configure when RAM sends expiration warnings:

Notification	Default	Description
First Notification	30 days	Early warning to plan renewal
Second Notification	14 days	Two weeks out reminder
Third Notification	7 days	One week urgent reminder
Final Notification	1 day	Last day warning

tip

You can lock notification timing to enforce consistent agency-wide notification schedules.

Step 8: Save the Template

Click Create Template to save. The template is now available for members to use.

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Common Templates to Create

Here are recommended templates for most rescue organizations:

Essential Certifications

Template Name	Record Type	Expiry	Assignment
CPR/AED	Certification	24 months	Required
First Aid	Certification	24 months	Required
Bloodborne Pathogens	Training Record	12 months	Required

NIMS/ICS Training

Template Name	Record Type	Expiry	Assignment
NIMS IS-100	Training Record	None	Required
NIMS IS-200	Training Record	None	Required
NIMS IS-700	Training Record	None	Required
NIMS IS-800	Training Record	None	Required
ICS-300	Training Record	None	Optional
ICS-400	Training Record	None	Optional

Search & Rescue Certifications

Template Name	Record Type	Expiry	Assignment
SARTECH I	Certification	36 months	Optional
SARTECH II	Certification	36 months	Optional
SARTECH III	Certification	36 months	Optional
Wilderness First Responder	Certification	24 months	Optional
Rope Rescue Technician	Certification	36 months	Optional
Swift Water Rescue	Certification	24 months	Optional

Background Checks

Template Name	Record Type	Expiry	Assignment
FBI Background Check	Background Check	60 months	Restricted
State Criminal Background	Background Check	24 months	Restricted
Sex Offender Registry	Background Check	12 months	Restricted

K9/Animal Records

Template Name	Record Type	Subject	Expiry	Assignment
Rabies Vaccination	Vaccination	Animal	36 months	Required
DHPP Vaccination	Vaccination	Animal	12 months	Required
Bordetella	Vaccination	Animal	12 months	Optional
Annual Veterinary Exam	Medical Record	Animal	12 months	Required
SAR Certification	Certification	Animal	24 months	Optional

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Editing Templates

To edit an existing template:

1. Find the template in the list
2. Click the edit icon (pencil) or the template row
3. Modify the fields as needed
4. Click Save

What You Cannot Change

• Subject Type (Person/Animal)
• Record Type (Certification, Training, etc.)

These are locked after creation because changing them would affect existing records.

Impact of Changes

Change	Impact on Existing Records
Template Name	Existing records keep old name
Expiry Period	Existing records recalculate expiration dates
Default Values	Only affects new records
Locked Fields	Only affects new records

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Deleting Templates

Use Caution

Deleting a template does not delete existing records created from it, but those records will become "orphaned" and may display incorrectly.

To delete a template:

1. Click the delete icon (trash can)
2. Confirm the deletion

Best Practice: Instead of deleting, consider changing the Assignment Type to "Restricted" to prevent new records while preserving history.

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Import & Export

Exporting Templates

1. Click Export to download all templates as CSV
2. Use for backup or to share with other agencies

Importing Templates

1. Prepare a CSV file with required columns:
   • Record Type
   • Subject Type
   • Template Name
   • Description
   • Assignment Type
   • Status
2. Click Import
3. Upload your CSV file
4. Review and confirm the import

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Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Do	Don't
"CPR/AED"	"cpr"
"NIMS IS-100"	"NIMS 100" or "IS100"
"Wilderness First Responder"	"WFR" (unless commonly used)
"SARTECH II"	"Sartech 2"

Keep names:

• Consistent with industry standards
• Short enough for dropdown lists
• Clear enough to identify without description

Expiration Periods

Certification Type	Typical Expiry
CPR/AED	24 months
First Aid	24 months
NIMS Courses	No expiration
Technical Rescue	24-36 months
Background Checks	12-60 months
Animal Vaccinations	12-36 months

Field Locking Strategy

Lock these fields:

• Expiry periods set by regulations
• Issuing organizations that don't vary
• Required training hours

Leave unlocked:

• Locations (vary by session)
• Instructors (change frequently)
• Dates (always vary)

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Troubleshooting

"Template name already exists"

Each template name must be unique within the same Record Type and Subject Type combination. Choose a different name or modify the existing template.

"Cannot add certification to member"

Ensure:

1. A template exists for this certification type
2. The template Assignment Type allows user assignment (not "Restricted")
3. User has permission to add certifications

"Expiration date not calculating"

Check that:

1. The template has an Expiry Period set
2. The Expiry Period field is a valid number (in months)
3. The member's record has a completion/issue date

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Next Steps

After creating your certification templates:

1. Configure Agency Specialties — Link required certifications to specialties

   • See Agency Specialties

2. Set Up Notification Recipients — Choose who receives expiration alerts

   • See Agency Notification Settings

3. Add Team Members — Members can now add their certifications

   • See Team Management

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Seeing the Result

Once templates exist, Certifications → Team Certifications List shows every member record measured against them. By default it lists only what the agency actually tracks — records tied to a Required template or referenced by an active Qualification — with a toggle to show everything else members have uploaded.