Qualified Vegetation Safety Professional- (QVSP)

 To become a Qualified Vegetation Safety Professional- (QVSP), applicants must meet certain educational requirements. 

Applicants must have at least an Associate degree in science, emergency management, or safety from a regionally-accredited college or university or from another college that is recognized by the EPS Institute, or 60 college units with a minimum of 18 semester course hours of science, safety, or other related fields.

Exceptions are reviewed on a case by case basis with two years of relevant experience equal to one year of education, ie: 30 units.

 Applicants for the QVSP designation typically need 4 plus years of relevant experience or combined experience in the field of vegetation management, emergency management, or environmental remediation and compliance. This professional-level experience should encompass a broad scope of practices and may include areas such as consulting, compliance, auditing, public health, safety, wastewater, vegetation management, and more.

Involvement in at least 1 disaster (minimum state level declared emergencies) at a supervisory/management level such as:

Site Safety and Health Officer

ICS Safety Officer

Task Force Lead

Project Manager or similar*

ESF Team

The experience should demonstrate a deep understanding of various processes and the ability to identify and address health and safety hazards involving safety, humans, and the environment.

 "Ethics for EHS Professionals" by EHSEthics.com 

This course has the following learning objectives:

• Develop an understanding of how the various Codes of Ethics apply to EHS practice
• Learn how professional Codes of Ethics requirements relate to ethical decision-making
• Explore how to utilize various commonly-accepted approaches for resolving ethical issues
• Practice using ethical principles to assess case study scenarios using the various resolution approaches discussed in the course materials
• Learn what steps can be taken to avoid future ethical dilemmas

When applying for a credential, it is important to provide three letters of recommendation. Letters should be from an industry peer, supervisor, or employer.

The letters should provide insight into your skills, knowledge, and experience in the field of safety and vegetation management.

Domains covered include, but are not limited to:  

• Basic OSHA 30 Health and safety regulations
• Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
• Basic sciences (mechanical, electrical, and organic chemistry)
• ICS/NIMS
• Levels A, B, C, D PPE
• Pesticide knowledge
• Basic first aid, CPR, & AED best practices and techniques
• Respiratory protection
• Chipper safety
• Climber safety
• Chainsaw safety
• Basic heavy equipment safety

• Pesticide Safety Specialist (PSS) or Vector Safety Specialist (VSS) certification
• Chainsaw Safety Specialist (CSS-1) certification
• Chipper Safety Specialist (CSS-2)
• Certified Climber Safety Specialist (CSS-3) certification
• OSHA 30 hr.
• HAZWOPER 40 hr.
• HAZWOPER Supervisor 8 hr.
• IS 100.b
• IS 200.c
• IS 632.a
• IS 633
• IS 700.b
• IS 800.d
• CPR/FA/AED card