Understanding the CAPCE (Formerly CECBEMS) code system

(In July 2016 the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS) Officially changed their name to the Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE). The following information utilizes the old name CECBEMS but still applies to the new CAPCE name. Over the next few months we will be updating references to CECBEMS throughout our website to reflect the new name of CAPCE.)

A typical CECBEMS activity number from our school looks something like this: 16-EMT-F3-0001

The first 2 numbers in the sequence represent the year the activity was created or last updated. So in the number above, the course was created or updated in 2016. If you are wondering why that matters, consider the following.

1. CECBEMS requires that after a course is created, it must be reviewed and updated every 3 years. Since the field of EMS has constant variations in scope and practice, CE providers are expected to keep content up to date with current information.
2. If an activity number begins with a 12 for instance, then you should contact the provider to determine why it is out of date. Sometimes it is as simple as a forgotten change on the certificate generator, but you want to make sure your certificate has a year within 3 years of the current date when you complete to ensure it is valid.

The next set of letters that appear after the first two numbers is the abbreviated name of the Organziation that is accredited by CECBEMS. EMT & Fire Training, Inc. is proud to have the official EMT designation from CECBEMS. No other provider will have EMT as their abbreviation.

The "F" part of the sequence describes the format of the activity. Below is the description of each F code:

• F1 - These are one-time 'live event' activities. If you attend a conference for example, you may be given a CECBEMS certificate with an F1 code on it.
• F2 - These are a 'live event' activity that is offered multiple times. Attending an in-person refresher course for example, could result in an F2 code on your certificate. Especially if the course is offered several times a year.
• F3 - These are distributed learning activities.
  • CECBEMS defines distributed learning (also called distributive education or distance learning) as an educational activity in which the learner, the instructor, and the educational materials are not all present at the same time, and students and instructors are not able to interact in real time.  CE activities that are offered online, via CD-ROM or video, or through reading journal articles or listening to audio tapes are usually considered by CECBEMS as distributed learning.
• F5 - These are Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) activities.
  • Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) refers to training that is delivered in a virtual or simulated environment, or when the instructor and learner are in separate locations. Virtual instruction environments are designed to simulate the traditional classroom or learning experience. VILT can be conducted synchronously or asynchronously. The key is that students must have real time access to the instructor during the training.

The last set of numbers is actually an internal numbering system that each individual CE provider creates to identify their courses.

If you have any additional questions related to CECBEMS, please feel free to contact the organization at:

CAPCE
12200 Ford Rd., Ste. 478
Dallas Texas 75234
Phone: 972-247-4442
Fax: 214-432-0545

or email the Executive Director, Jay Scott at: jscott@cecbems.org