The Terminal Facility Credential
A Regional Center is the full PSSK9™ hub for a region — the facility with a Master Instructor on staff, a Master Decoy on staff (or on documented contract), and the authority to issue every credential in the ladder up to Instructor Certified.
Regional Centers are the visible face of PSSK9™ in their region. They set the local standard, they are the public point of contact for the credential, and they carry the reputational weight of the standard in their territory. This is the rarest facility credential and it is awarded only after extensive review.
“There is one PSSK9™ standard, and a small number of Regional Centers who carry it. This is not a franchise. It is a public trust, revocable on cause, defended in public.”
Who Should Pursue This Credential
- Existing Certified Facilities with a strong Handler Certified graduate record and geographic scale.
- Program owners with a Master Instructor on staff and a documented Master Decoy relationship.
- Facilities in regions the ladder does not yet serve, whose leadership can commit to the full standard.
What the Credential Requires
All of the Certified Facility Standard, Plus:
- At least one Master Instructor on full-time staff.
- At least one PSSK9™ Decoy (Master Decoy tier) on documented staff or contract.
- A minimum record of 24 Handler Certified graduates produced by the facility.
- A minimum record of 3 Instructor Certified graduates produced by the facility.
- Documented physical capacity for Instructor Certified coursework.
- Regional coverage plan — the geographic area the center will serve as the public credential point of contact.
Assessment
Regional Center assessment is a multi-day, multi-Master Instructor review conducted at the applicant facility. It is the most rigorous review in the entire credential ladder and includes live teaching, live decoy work, live handler assessment, physical walk-through, curriculum audit, and outcome record review.
What the Credential Confers
- Full authority to issue every credential up to Instructor Certified in the region.
- Voting authority on PSSK9™ standard revisions.
- Right to represent PSSK9™ publicly in the region.
- Nomination authority for Master Instructor candidates.
- Regional territorial exclusivity within a defined coverage area.
Ongoing Obligations
- Annual full audit by a panel of Master Instructors.
- Public defense of every credentialed graduate produced under the center’s authority whose conduct triggers formal review.
- Participation in the annual PSSK9™ doctrine review.
- Financial contribution to the audit fund proportional to graduate volume.
— Before You Apply —
Every applicant to any PSSK9
™ credential is required to read
THE BUYER’S GUIDE · READ FIRST. It is the public document the entire standard is built around. Applications that reference it are read first. Applications that do not reference it are read last.
— The First Step —
Apply to Begin the Regional Center Path
Every credential path begins with a written application, a phone interview, and an in-person assessment. There is no online-only path. There is no fast-track.
Open the Enquiry Form →
