Florida Fire Marshal Julius Halas and Bureau of Fire Prevention Chief Casia Sinco along with IAS Manager Preet Bassi gave a presentation on the IAS Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation (FPD) Program during the 2012 National Association of State Fire Marshals Annual Conference in Meredith, New Hampshire. The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office Bureau of Fire Prevention is the first IAS-accredited fire prevention department in the county. The presentation revisited how the FPD program, jointly developed by IAS and the Center for Public Safety Excellence, shared the experience of becoming accredited, highlighted the benefits of seeking accreditation, and provided an overview of how to get started and what to expect. The presentation garnered interest from several state fire marshal offices who expressed an interest in becoming accredited.

The FPD program is based on IAS's Building Department Accreditation program and the Center for Public Safety Excellence’s Fire Department Accreditation. Potential applicants are state fire marshal offices, county emergency services departments, and local stand-alone fire prevention bureaus. Development of the FPD program began in 2010, with the accreditation criteria being formally adopted in 2011. A recent article written by Sinco and Bassi provides an in-depth look at the FPD program and its benefits. This month, IAS is considering the accreditation of its second fire prevention program.