IQS Implementation Update for Local Agencies

The Interagency Resource Ordering Capability (IROC) system has been in use nationally since 2018 and is the mobilization platform used by Federal, State, and local government agencies to deploy resources to incidents. IROC was not designed with an overhead personnel qualification tracking system, although many users have used it to place personnel into the database for deployment to incidents. This method does not conform to the IROC data standards, which state that resources need to be placed into one of the approved agency qualification systems. Currently, there are three approved systems that link to IROC for this purpose. The Federal wildland firefighting agencies use the Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS). Cal Fire uses the Cal Fire Qualifications Management System (CalQMS), and local government agencies are authorized to use the Incident Qualification System (IQS).

IQS is a software package that is owned by the National Association of State Foresters and is free of charge for local government agencies to use for rostering overhead-qualified personnel so they are visible in IROC for incident deployment. IQS is also useful as a qualification management system by maintaining qualification dates, trainee and qualified status, currency of refresher training, and dates of assignments. IROC automatically communicates back to IQS when personnel complete assignments to maintain the record of assignments for currency requirements.

Several fire agencies within California have been using IQS for many years with great success. IQS is in use by over 100 fire agencies with over 18,000 people rostered. The California Office of Emergency Services, Fire and Rescue Division (Cal OES), began an outreach program to the fire service in late 2025, and these efforts are ongoing. Currently, there are 324 fire agencies, with 7,612 records, that need to be established in IQS. Of these, there are 78 agencies that have begun the process to set up their system.

The preferred system set-up is that of a group of agencies, either by dispatch center or mutual aid operational area, collaborating together to place personnel from several agencies into one IQS server system to simplify the server connections.

For more information, visit the IQS website at https://vdatasys.com/, where you can download the software installation manual. It is important to reach out to your Cal OES Regional Assistant Chief or the contacts below before you begin entering data into the system. California’s IQS representative will guide agencies through the installation process to ensure proper connection to IROC with the agency identifier codes, to maintain the integrity of the mutual aid system.

For Additional Information Contact

Cal OES Assistant Chief Eric Petterson (North Regions 2, 3, and 4)
Eric.Petterson@caloes.ca.gov
(916) 634-8498

Cal OES Assistant Chief Chris Cox (South Regions 1, 5, and 6)
Christopher.Cox@caloes.ca.gov
(916) 296-6927

California IQS Representative
Fire Captain Alex Entenman, Kern County Fire Department
aentenman@kerncountyfire.org
(661) 330-0177