Field Certification for Method 9 (Smoke School)

Requirements to pass field certification

Item	Requirement
Number of observations per test run	50: 25 white smoke, 25 black smoke
Contiguous observations	The student must pass 50 contiguous observations of white and black smoke.
Increments of opacity	Five percent (5%). Opacity is specified at 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, etc.
Accuracy required per observation	Each observation must be estimated within fifteen percent (15%) of the opacity. If one observation is outside of the 15%, the student does not pass that run.
Cumulative score	CAA smoke school students must achieve a score of 37 deviations or below.

Exclusive digital field certification process

Compliance Assurance Associates, Inc. (CAA) offers a paperless, no-contact smoke school that is completely digital. For specific information on CAA's field certification process, visit the Digital Smoke School Certification page.

What to expect at smoke school

Arrival

Arrive on time. Check in on your phone. Work with the field manager if there are any issues logging in.

Introduction

The field manager will explain the process, answer questions, and assist with issues.

Calibration

The field team introduces students to plumes and opacity levels. Using the smoke generator, the instructor produces plumes at 25%, 50%, and 75% opacity as reference points.

Practice runs

Practice runs are performed to familiarize students with the digital app and how to perform observations. Additionally, specialized instruction is given to ensure familiarity with black smoke and white smoke. Up to four practice runs will be performed to ensure students are comfortable with the reading process.

Test runs

Students are tested on 50 contiguous observations — 25 with white smoke, 25 with black.

During test runs, students are expected to adhere to Method 9 rules regarding sun angle and background. Test runs differ from actual visible emissions observations in that they are performed on a smoke trailer vs. a facility, with an operator providing cues to read vs. a timer mechanism during actual observations.

Grading

When all students have recorded their observations, the field manager will commence the grading process. Students will be notified on their smart devices of their scores.

Those who have passed will receive a message "completed but not yet certified." At that point, the student presses the "Open Signature Pad" button and follows the instructions on the screen to sign, take a selfie, and press the save button. A digital field certificate is automatically created and available on the CAA website.

For students that do not pass the run, the digital app will indicate where observation errors occurred. Those students must repeat the test run(s).

Repeated test runs

Test runs will be repeated until all students pass, choose not to be certified, or the time of day prohibits further test runs.