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Recent News

A2LA Accepting Applications for Department of Homeland
Security P25 Compliance Assessment Program (P25 CAP)

By Ash Morton, Accreditation Specialist CAP-recognized laboratories must nity’s confidence in, and acceptance
become accredited by August 2017 of, test results from DHS-recognized
In response to the Department of in order to continue participation in P25 CAP laboratories.
Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the P25 CAP. In addition to accept-
Interoperability and Compatibility ing applications from current P25 All equipment suppliers that par-
(OIC) posting of new P25 Compliance CAP-recognized laboratories, A2LA ticipate in the P25 CAP must use
Assessment Bulletins (CABs) that is also accepting applications from recognized laboratories to conduct
outline test procedures for the P25 laboratories that are newly interest- performance, conformance and in-
Compliance Assessment Program ed in this program. teroperability tests on their products.
(P25 CAP), A2LA is now accept- DHS now requires these laborato-
ing applications for its P25 Compli- The P25 CAP is a voluntary program ries to be accredited by a DHS-au-
ance Accreditation Program. Proj- that allows P25 equipment suppliers thorized accreditation body, such as
ect 25 (P25) is a suite of standards to formally demonstrate that their A2LA, in order to be recognized. P25
which enable interoperability among products comply with a select group CAP assessments by A2LA are avail-
digital two-way land mobile radio of requirements within the suite of able to public and private testing
communications products created by P25 standards through assessments laboratories, including commercial
and for public safety professionals1. by DHS-authorized accreditation laboratories, manufacturers’ in-
The accreditation requirements, used bodies (such as A2LA). Ultimately, house laboratories, university labo-
in conjunction with ISO/IEC 17025, this chain of oversight will provide ratories, and federal, state, and local
for this program may be found within evidence to emergency response government laboratories. Additional
R242 – Specific Requirements: Proj- agencies that the communications information may be found on the
ect 25 (P25) Compliance Accredi- equipment they purchase meets P25 www.FirstResponder.gov website.
tation Program. standards. The program requires test
laboratories to demonstrate their [1] https://www.dhs.gov/publica-
Following the posting of these bul- competence through a rigorous and tion/project-25-compliance-as-
letins (the full text of which may be objective assessment process. Such sessment-program. n
found at https://www.dhs.gov/sci- a process promotes the user commu-
ence-and-technology/bulletins),
the DHS has stipulated that P25

Transition Period for ISO 17034:2016 Implementation Established for
Accredited Reference Materials Producers

By: Ashly Carter, Reference Materials Producer Program Manager

ISO 17034:2016 General Requirements rently-accredited Reference Material memo is available here <https://www.
for the Competence of Reference Producers (RMPs) transitioned to ac- A2LA.org/requirements/R304_Transi-
Material Producers became public- creditation to ISO 17034:2016 no later tion_Memo.pdf>.
ly available on November 1, 2016, than November 1, 2019. Effective December 1, 2016, A2LA
superseding ISO Guide 34:2009. The For A2LA to successfully assess and has begun accepting applications
Asia Pacific Laboratory Accredita- provide accreditation to each of its or requests for Scope expansion to
tion Cooperation (APLAC) has imple- accredited and enrolled RMPs with- ISO 17034:2016.
mented a three-year transition peri- in our two-year assessment cycle, For more information, please contact
od from the date of publication. As A2LA has published an official tran- Ashly Carter at 301 644 3238 or
such, all APLAC Mutual Recognition sition memorandum outlining target acarter@A2LA.org. n
Arrangement (MRA) signatories, such dates for implementation of the ISO
as A2LA, must have all of their cur- 17034:2016 standard. The transition

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