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Message: Here's a great article I found at www.northwestnavigator.com: -- Navy Region Northwest Fire & Emergency Services received accredited agency status with the Commission of Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) for meeting the criteria established through CFAI’s voluntary self-assessment and accreditation program Feb. 26. Navy Region Northwest Fire & Emergency Services is one of 127 agencies worldwide and is the first total Navy region accredited under the current regional alignment to achieve internationally accredited agency status with the CFAI and the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. “The process of becoming accredited requires a commitment of time, dedication and personnel,” said John Arruda, Region fire chief. “There are resources within the DoD and fire service community available to help agencies working toward accreditation. Sharing information, protocols and document analysis is just another way of networking within our vocation.” The commission on Fire Accreditation International is dedicated to assisting the fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving excellence through self-assessment and accreditation in order to provide continuous quality improvement and the enhancement of service delivery to fleet, fighter and families. “To become accredited, an organization has to go through a pretty stiff set of criteria,” said Bruce Kramer, Region assistant fire chief. “We have to conduct a very thorough risk assessment governing fire protection aspects within this region and how our citizens may or may not be impacted based on fire risk. We also had to do a very in-depth self assessment based on all different categories of fire service from mutual aid agreements to safety and fire suppression, and had to draft a strategic plan for the next five years.” The CFAI process is voluntary, and provides an agency with an improvement model to assess their service delivery and performance internally and then works with a team of peers from other agencies to evaluate their completed self-assessment. “The benefits of accreditation begin with the process. Every individual discovers they have a stake in the quality of their department,” said Arruda. “The elaborate self-assessment procedures demand a thoroughness and objectivity, which are the foundation of a vibrant organization. Even though being under the microscope takes courage, and focusing on departmental strengths and weaknesses is a challenge, the opportunity to quantify the value of your department is priceless.” “To me this means I have been validated by my peers internationally,” said Kramer. “It’s quite an accomplishment. It makes feel proud to be a part of this organization.” http://www.northwestnavigator.com/index.php/navigator/regionalnews/cnrnw_fire_and_emergency_services_attain_accreditation/
