First Responder Verification FAQ

This article is intended for businesses utilizing SheerID. If you are a first responder and need help with your verification, please visit our Help Center.

Who can SheerID verify with first responder verification?

First Responder verification covers law enforcement, firefighting personnel, EMTs, paramedics, and other rescue services in the US, Canada, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK. Instant coverage is available in the US only. All other first responder verification is performed via document review.

How are the affiliations defined?

• Firefighters. This includes both career and volunteer firefighting personnel
• Police. Law enforcement employees are included in SheerID's Police affiliation
  • In Canada, SheerID can verify members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as well as local and regional law enforcement
  • In the US, civilian employees and sworn officers actively working at any of the following law enforcement agencies:
    • Local, state, and other police
    • Sheriffs departments and constables
    • 911 operators and emergency dispatchers
    • Corrections officers, including parole and probation officers
    • Federal law enforcement at a select number of organizations include:
      • US Marshals Service (USMS)
      • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
      • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
      • Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
      • Transportation and Security Administration (TSA)
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). EMTs can be verified based on their affiliation with an eligible organization, or can be approved by verifying that they have an active EMT or paramedic license. Unlike police and firefighters, EMTs are not required to be verified based on employment at eligible institution. If a consumer selects the EMT affiliation and uploads a valid, current license, the organization does not need to match the organization on the form in order for the request to be approved in document review.
  • Also acceptable under EMT status:
    • Ambulance drivers
    • Medical emergency pilots and crew (both helicopter and airplane)
  • EMTs/paramedics can also be approved under 'Other Health Worker' within SheerID's Healthcare Verification program
    • If you are implementing both a first responder and a healthcare program, SheerID best practice recommends that these consumers be verified via the First Responder program, as there is a clear affiliation (EMT) for them, as opposed to utilizing the 'Other Healthcare Worker' affiliation in the Healthcare program. This delineation should be clearly outlined in your website's FAQ and instructions. However, if your goal is to implement a broadly inclusive healthcare program, EMTs and paramedics can be included within the 'Other Healthcare Worker' affiliation.
• Search and Rescue (SAR). Public or private employees and volunteers for a first responder organization such as law enforcement, fire departments, Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC), National Ski Patrol (NSP), and localized SAR organizations
  • Many SAR personnel are also EMTs and can be verified as EMTs

Additional eligibility notes

• A dispatcher for police, fire, or EMT is acceptable under any first responder affiliation
• Members of emergency management response teams working for governments, government agencies, or first responder organizations are eligible under any affiliation
• Emergency response teams for private organizations, and international aid organizations such as Red Cross, are NOT eligible

Are retired first responders eligible?

Retired first responders are typically ineligible. Documents indicating retiree status will be rejected during review. However, due to the nature of our authoritative sources for instant verification (US only), there may be instances where retired individuals are included. Consequently, while not standard practice, approvals for retired first responders are possible in certain cases.

What are the document review requirements to verify first responder status?

If asked to upload proof of eligibility, consumer documents must be official, and must display the consumer's:

1. First and last name
2. Status (firefighter, police, EMT, or SAR)
   • Status must be clearly displayed (e.g. job title must appear on paystub or license/certification)
3. Organization/worksite
   • First responder programs have an open organization list, meaning that the consumer will see organizations populate in the typeahead when inputting their organization. They will be able to select an existing organization or can type in their own if their organization does not populate.
   • If a consumer selects the EMT affiliation and uploads a valid, current license, the organization does not need to match the organization entered on the form in order for the request to be approved.
   • If the organization shown in a paystub doesn't match the name input on the form, consumers may be asked to upload additional proof that the organizations are connected.

Commonly accepted documents

SheerID is not limited to accepting only these document types, but these typically satisfy all requirements:

• Certificate/license (EMT/OEC)
• ID card*
• Paystub dated within 90 days
• Official letter dated within 90 days

*ID cards cannot be expired or issued in the recent past

Unacceptable documents

• CPR/BLS certificates
• Academic diploma
• Training certificates