When a vehicle is presented for a retest, the technicians review the initial test from the Air Care station. If they find a vehicle was not tested properly, the Air Care station must refund the test fee to the vehicle owner and retest the vehicle at no charge. Once the error is brought to the Air Care inspector's attention, he or she is unlikely to repeat the error. By retesting vehicles at VPMD, the City technicians monitor the quality of testing done at Air Care stations and provide a service to the motoring public. Course work involves two days of classroom and one day of practical training on the emission analyzer units.
Inspectors recertify each year by completing a four-hour recertification course and exam.
Recertification training maintains Inspector competence and ensures quality testing. Beginning third quarter 1997, Bernalillo County fleet vehicles are tested by students in the practical portion of the initial inspector course. This allows students to practice on a variety of vehicles and the County fleet is tested at a reduced cost. For more advanced training on diagnostics and air injection system repairs, the Four-Gas Analysis course is available. For station managers and service writers, a special class is presented to give a program overview.