IAS eNews

The International Accreditation Service and the Center for Public Safety Excellence Sign Agreement to Develop IAS Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation


CPSE Executive Director Paul Brooks (right) and IAS President Chuck Ramani sign the agreement to work together on the IAS Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation Program.

A formal signing ceremony was held October 27 between the International Accreditation Service (IAS) and the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) at the 2010 International Code Council Annual Conference Legislative Forum to recognize their joint effort and commitment to develop the IAS Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation Program. Code Council Chief Executive Officer Richard Weiland introduced the event and welcomed signing representatives CPSE Executive Director Paul Brooks and IAS President Chuck Ramani.

Based on the draft Accreditation Criteria for Fire Prevention and Life Safety Departments AC426, accreditation by IAS will convey formal recognition to fire prevention and life safety departments that have demonstrated technical competence to administer an effective system of code enforcement, fire prevention, life safety programs and other functions of fire marshals' offices that benefit the communities they serve.

Randy Bruegman, Fire Chief for Fresno, California; President of the CPSE; and former President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) said, "CPSE recognizes the importance of state and county fire marshal offices in promoting fire prevention and life safety. In partnership with ICC and IAS, CPSE is working on the development of an accreditation model for these agencies to promote the efficiency and effectiveness of fire marshal offices based upon national standards and best practices. Recognition on a national and international basis will help to promote the value and importance that fire prevention and life safety have on the welfare of citizens and firefighting personnel."

"Participation by CPSE in the development of this accreditation program brings greater credibility and strength to the program, which will benefit fire and life safety departments and the public they serve," commented IAS President Chuck Ramani.

The accreditation program, which includes onsite review by an IAS assessment team, will evaluate departments against the performance requirements in 10 primary categories, including governance and administration, risk assessment, goals and objectives, finance, program activity, physical resources, human resources, training and competency, essential resources, and external systems relations. "The IAS Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation Program will provide departments with an opportunity to critically assess their administrative, code enforcement, and quality management systems with the goal of improving the services they provide to communities," Ramani said.

Alan W. Perdue, Emergency Services Director, Guilford County, North Carolina, IAFC Board International Director, Fire and Life Safety Section member, and a member of the ICC Joint Fire Service Review Committee said, "The establishment of an accreditation program for fire and life safety departments will provide an avenue to evaluate programs and processes to ensure they are efficient, effective and responsive. It will be truly beneficial to have a process that can serve as a reliable indicator of the value and quality of the services that are provided as they are benchmarked against best practices. We feel that participation in voluntary accreditation will validate to the public and the various stakeholders we serve that our organization has a genuine interest in continuous self-evaluation and improvement."

The accreditation program is currently in the alpha testing stage, with the first fire and life safety department going through the evaluation process. The draft accreditation criteria used to evaluate departments has been developed with input from the fire community, stakeholders and the IAS Technical Advisory Council. Final approval of the draft criteria by the IAS Accreditation Committee is expected in late 2010. IAS is accepting applications for accreditation under the draft criteria and will work with applicants as the criteria evolve or further changes are proposed.

The CPSE is developing training materials and will be conducting workshops for departments interested in learning about the criteria for becoming accredited.

The Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to assisting the international fire and emergency services community in seeking excellence in service delivery and continuous quality improvement in the provision of services and leadership to the communities they serve. CPSE achieves its mission through its two commissions, the Commission on Fire Accreditation International and the Commission on Professional Credentialing.

For more information, click on the Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation AC426 program page on the IAS website, or call IAS at 1-866-427-4422.