The FEMA Qualification System (FQS) is a performance-based qualification system that gives employees the opportunity to demonstrate and document their knowledge and skills in their specific incident management or incident support positions. Performance-based training refers to incident-related performance (at a disaster, incident, or scheduled exercise) that demonstrates the employee’s knowledge, skills, and actual performance, as documented in the position task book for the specific position, during these types of situations.

To become qualified for an incident management or incident support position, each employee is evaluated on the job. FQS standardizes the qualifications for positions across the Agency so that an employee who is qualified to perform in a given disaster position in one FEMA region will be prepared to perform in the same position in another region.