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Frequently Asked
Questions about AFQAM |
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AFQAM
has provided these FAQs to assist you with learning more about AFQAM.
Please email an AFQAM Board Member using the
AFQAM Board page for more information. |
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What does the word "AFQAM"
mean? |
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AFQAM
is short for the
Association
of Forensic
Quality
Assurance
Managers. |
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When was "AFQAM"
founded? |
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AFQAM was
started as a regional group for Crime Laboratory quality managers
from Southern California. It soon expanded to the mid-west as
Quality Managers began to network at meetings and through classes.
The founding members decided to meet as a group for the first time
in Kansas City, MO. At that time there were 22 "members." It was
at this meeting that the group decided to formally become an
organization, complete with by-laws. These original members decided
on the name AFQAM.
The first official meeting for AFQAM
was held in Austin Texas in
October 2002. |
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How many active members does
AFQAM have and from
what types of laboratories? |
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AFQAM
has approximately 198 members, as of October 2006, representing 47
states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman Island and
Canada. One hundred and sixty-one state and local laboratories are
represented. Additionally representatives from FBI, NFSTC, ASCLD/LAB,
U.S. Customs, U.S. Army, IRS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, EPA,
and Royal Canadian Mounted Police are members. |
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How can being a member of
AFQAM
assist me in my day to day activities as a Quality Manager? |
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Becoming a member of AFQAM enables
you to join in an on-line, email discussion group. This on-line
discussion group provides an invaluable service by providing you
direct access to other Quality Managers who are grappling with many
of the same issues as your laboratory. The members provide a
resource to assist in dealing with quality related issues that your
own laboratory management may not know how to address.
Additionally, the group serves as an invaluable resource for
obtaining information on accreditation issues and interpretation
issues surrounding accreditation criteria. If you are a Quality
Manager in the beginning stages of the accreditation process, the
discussion group can be of great assistance in providing guidance on
how to tackle the process. |
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What other benefits are there to joining
AFQAM?
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AFQAM has developed a resource
library for its members to use. Items in the resource library
include presentations on various forensic laboratory quality
assurance topics, samples of Quality Manuals and Standard Operating
Procedures to assist in developing or revising laboratory quality
system documents. Additionally, the resource library is useful when
questions arise with regards to how other forensic laboratories
conduct certain types of examinations – as a member you can request
such information from the resource library with a couple of
keystrokes vs. calling around the country talking to people who may
not know who you are.
Additionally,
AFQAM
holds an annual meeting where members can attend presentations
covering such topics as Auditing, Audit Databases, and real life
stories of what not to do as a Quality Manager. The presentations
are geared towards assisting all quality managers in forensic
science so you are truly benefiting from attending the meeting vs.
attending a meeting that have very few or no presentations available
to assist you in your day to day responsibilities. Attendance at
these meetings may assist you in achieving some of the continuing
education requirements of your laboratory management or your parent
organization. Cost to attend these meetings is quite reasonable and
the meetings are generally scheduled for the fall, when most
governments have the funds available for travel. Additionally, it
is a great opportunity to network with other quality professionals
and discuss one-on-one some of those pesky issues that occur in all
laboratories but which you may not wish to put out for discussion on
the Discussion Group. The meetings have been held in such beautiful
locations as Missoula, MT; Indian Rocks Beach, FL; Indianapolis, IN; Las Vegas,
NV; and San Antonio, TX. |
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What are the membership requirements? |
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AFQAM
membership is open to those individuals, who are actively engaged in
the field of forensic Quality Assurance management; who perform
system or laboratory wide quality assurance duties on a regular
basis; or who have advanced the profession for forensic quality
assurance management in a significant manner. |
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How can I join? |
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Simply go to the link labeled
“Membership”, complete the forms and mail the application along with
the payment identified at the bottom of the screen. The application
will be reviewed by the membership committee who will review the
application and then forward the application along with their
recommendation to the board for final approval. |
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