FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

AHLS Provider is open to all interested parties and individuals, however, the target audience is medical care providers.

  • The AHLS Provider course taken by personnel categories such as physicians, physician assistants, registered (RN, BSN, MSN) and advanced practice nurses, military medics, paramedics, AEMTs, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and toxicologists may become Verified AHLS Providers. Any concerns of equivalency to these categories (especially within international venues) should be addressed with AHLS International Headquarters before taking a course.
  • The AHLS Provider course taken by personnel categories such as EMT, EMR, LPN, MA (Medical Assistant), industrial, scientific, and non-medical military personnel will not receive AHLS Provider verification, but will receive a certificate of completion and continuing education credit (as applicable) from AHLS International Headquarters.

 

Physicians, physician assistants/associates, advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners), nurses (RN, BSN, MSN), military medics*, paramedics, AEMTs, pharmacists, respiratory therapists**, and toxicologists are eligible to become AHLS Providers. Any concerns of equivalency to these categories (especially within international venues) should be addressed to AHLS International Headquarters.

Emergency Medical Responders (EMR), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), and EMT-Bs are eligible to attend the Provider course, but will NOT be verified as AHLS Providers and are NOT eligible to become AHLS Instructors. These participants will receive a certificate of completion and continuing education credit (U.S.-based courses only).

*Military medics are eligible to become verified AHLS Providers, but must also hold AEMT or higher civilian credentials to become AHLS Instructors.

**Respiratory Therapists are eligible to become AHLS Instructors on a case-by-case basis. Approval to take the AHLS Instructor Course is determined by the Administrative Policy Committee upon review of the candidate’s credentials.

AHLS is an educational program for medical providers focused on the medical management of patients exposed to hazardous material incidents.

AHLS verification is the internationally recognized distinction for healthcare professionals who have successfully completed the premier course on the medical management of patients exposed to hazardous materials and dangerous goods. AHLS verification allows for additional training opportunities with AHLS, further enhancing an individual’s capacity to respond to events related to hazardous material incidents.

As an AHLS Instructor, an individual is provided the opportunity to host their own courses, allowing for the training of their colleagues and coworkers, or those in their community.

The AHLS Provider Course slides are available in Albanian, Dutch, English, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. The AHLS Provider Manual is available in only English and Spanish.

The AHLS for Radiological Incidents & Terrorism Course is available in English and Spanish. (slides, manual, and exams)

All other AHLS Courses are available in English only.

Contact AHLS if your organization is interested in partnering to expand course language offerings.

AHLS pre-tests open two weeks before the course date. Pre-tests are available until midnight Pacific Standard Time the night before the AHLS Provider or AHLS for Radiological Incidents & Terrorism courses begin.

For English-language courses: the pre-test will be available in your ahls.org account. Participants will also receive reminder emails from noreply@ahls.org on the following schedule:

  • 2 weeks before the course date at 10:05 PM PST
  • 3 days before the course date at 10:05 PM PST

For non-English-language courses: the pre-test will be available by link only. The link will be made available via email sent either directly from the Course Host or from noreply@arizona.edu. 

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Provider Verification & Reverification

For those eligible to become a verified AHLS Provider and upon completion of an AHLS Provider course, they will receive a certificate of completion and an AHLS Provider verification card. The verification card is good for up to four years. They can renew their verification status online once every four years following the completion of a live course.

Your status as a verified AHLS Provider remains active for four years after the successful completion of an AHLS Provider Course. To maintain your status as a verified AHLS Provider, you must reverify before the expiration date on your AHLS Provider certificate.

If you do not reverify as an AHLS Provider by your expiration date, your status as an AHLS Provider changes from “verified” to “lapsed”. Your status will remain as “lapsed” for the six months following your expiration date. During this 6-month period, you may reverify as an AHLS Provider and have your status returned to “verified”.

After the 6-month grace period ends, you are no longer considered to be an AHLS Provider (verified or lapsed) and must take an AHLS Provider Course again to become verified as an AHLS Provider.

The cost to reverify online is $65 for the exam only, or $175 if an individual would like to purchase both a copy of the AHLS Provider manual and register for the exam.

The online reverification can be accessed via an individual’s www.ahls.org account. Once logged in, the link to begin the reverification process can be found listed under Exams Available on the user’s account homepage. Once the exam is complete and submitted, an individual’s verification status will be renewed automatically for four years.

There is no separate verification process for AHLS Instructors. If you are verified as an AHLS Instructor, your status will continue as long as your AHLS Provider status remains current.

Your expiration date is included on your AHLS Provider certificate and verification card. About one year before your expiration date, you will also receive automated emails from AHLS reminding you of your upcoming expiration date and steps on how to reverify.

FAQ for Course Hosts

AHLS can be offered in any city around the world. Any currently verified AHLS Instructor can apply and host a course. If you do not have an AHLS Instructor in your community, you can:

Apply online, a minimum of 6 months before the proposed course date, after determining the following:

  • Course Location
  • Course Dates
  • Verified AHLS Instructors
  • Proposed Budget
  • Course Prices

Access to the course application. There is a $25 application fee.

The Course Director can contact AHLS International Headquarters to receive access to a list of verified AHLS Instructors in their region. All AHLS Instructors independently negotiate their rates and terms for teaching a course.

AHLS course hosts build their budgets based on local needs and funding sources before submitting a course application. 

The Fee to Host Course tables on the Host a Course page include a recommended per-participant fee. When budgeting, please take into account AHLS International Headquarters fees, room rental, A/V costs, catering, instructor fees, travel, etc. Fees may vary from course to course. Contact AHLS International for a breakdown of what is and isn’t included in the fee to host a course.

All marketing assistance is available upon request only. AHLS International Headquarters can generate advertisement flyers for local and/or email distribution, and through social media channels. 

Course Hosts may also elect to have their courses listed on AHLS's Calendar of Upcoming Events.  Whether hosting an internal or externally facing course, it is critical to promote your course early to maximize course participation.

No, course participation is at the discretion of the local course host.

To meet the faculty requirements for AHLS Provider or Provider/Instructor, the following roles/positions must be satisfied:

  • Course Director: Must be a healthcare professional with current AHLS Instructor status. They oversee the planning and details involved in AHLS courses. They plan the dates and location of the course, are responsible for the advertising of the course, and communicate with instructors and participants. The Course Director or their designated Administrators serve as the liaison with the AHLS International Headquarters for all aspects of the course.
  • Board-Certified Toxicologist: In the United States, they must be certified through the American Board of Applied Toxicology (ABAT), the American Board of Medical Toxicology (ABMT), or the Medical Toxicology Sub-Board of the American Boards of Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, or Preventive Medicine and hold current AHLS Instructor status. For international courses, please contact AHLS International Headquarters to seek approval for board-certified equivalency for your respective country.
  • Medical Director: A physician with AHLS Instructor status. (One person can serve as the Medical Director and the Toxicologist.)
  • AHLS Verified Instructors: One Instructor for every 25 students, with a minimum of 2 Instructors per class.

AHLS for Radiological Incidents & Terrorism does not require a board-certified toxicologist or medical director. For a list of approved AHLS for Radiological Incidents & Terrorism instructors, please contact AHLS International Headquarters.

Neither course requires a board-certified toxicologist or medical director. Any currently verified AHLS Instructor may teach either course. Please contact AHLS International Headquarters for a list of AHLS Instructors.

AHLS course applications are reviewed by the AHLS International Headquarters and the respective AHLS Regional Director. AHLS will contact the applicant if there are any questions or clarifications needed on the course application. The approval process generally takes approximately two weeks.

AHLS International Headquarters will provide the Course Director with the necessary document templates to advertise and plan the course. While the Course Director is responsible for the course itself, the Course Director can assign a Course Administrator to serve as the contact person for registrants.

All documentation required to host a course will be provided by AHLS International Headquarters. The AHLS staff will collaborate with the Course Director and/or Course Administrator to provide the necessary tools to efficiently run the course.

For U.S.-based courses: Shipping to the course host site is included in the “Fee to Host a Course.”

Shipping options are also available to distribute manuals directly to your participants from AHLS. Please contact AHLS International to learn more.

For non-U.S.-based courses: The shipping fee is in addition to the “Fee to Host a Course.”

If a course host requires overnight shipping the fee for this service will be added regardless of location.

Please contact AHLS International for shipping estimates.

Course hosts are responsible for sending manuals to participants locally. It is recommended that a participant receive their manual at least 2 weeks prior to the course date.

Yes, course hosts can elect to offer either digital or hardcopy manuals for their course.