1. Fire Department Accreditation and Self Assessment Overview
Chris Riley, Fire Chief, City of Pueblo & President, CSFCA

2. Comprehensive fire and emergency service evaluation
What is Accreditation?
Comprehensive fire and emergency service evaluation
Method of measuring a fire department’s performance
Overseen by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI)
Founded in 1996
Governed by a five-member board
General organizational operation by an 11 member commission
Provide assurance to peers and the public that the organization has defined appropriate missions and objectives
Professional growth for the department and personnel
Mechanism for developing concurrent documents, including strategic and program action plans
Through self-assessment, a systematic evaluation can be accomplished to determine what is happening within an organization. Program assessment is focused on whether or not the organization is meeting the goals that are commensurate with its responsibility. In today's world of government where the focus is on reinventing, reengineering, rethinking and quality management, we must continue to ask ourselves if there's value added to our customers in the actions we are taking within our organizations.
The accreditation process assists fire service professionals in continually improving the quality and performance of their organizations by asking those critical questions to determine if the programs and services within the organizations are effective in meeting the needs of their communities.

3. “A non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of fire
Who is the Center for
Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) ?
“A non-profit organization dedicated
to the improvement of fire
and emergency service agencies
through self-assessment, accreditation, professional credentialing,
emergency management facilitation
and other programs.”
A body governed by a five-member board of directors
Oversees financial aspects of organization
Long term planning, policies and procedures
Eleven (11) member commission (CFAI)
Carries out policies and procedures
On-going development of accreditation activities
Peer assessment visits
Determines accreditation status for agencies having gone through the self assessment and peer assessment processes

4. Provide brief explanation of each program offered by the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE)
Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI)
Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC)
Commission on Fire Officer (CFO)
brochures available here
contact at CPSE office is:
name and phone number
Facilitation Technical Advisor Program

5. Provision of Services -- Quandary
Do more with less
Increased expenditures require expanded services
Accountability for level and quality of service
No nationally accepted set of performance criteria
Local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) hard pressed for additional funding/resources
Difficult to “sell” expanded services concept, if costs are considered prohibitive
AHJ turning to proven methods of evaluation and assessment to determine priorities
CFAI was established to develop a process of comprehensive assessment to allow an agency to determine an appropriate level of safe, effective performance as an organization

6. Why conduct evaluation of fire service programs?
When you are trying to cope with change
To provide for periodic evaluation to ensure safe operations
When there is a change in leadership
To raise the level of professionalism
Mergers, consolidations, down-sizing, growth
Continuous impacts on agency operations
Work environment
effectiveness (outcomes) and efficiency (costs)
Continued evaluation by many people on-going
“fingerprints on the knife”
How many have changed jobs in the past years? 5 years?
Fire Chief, City/County Manager, Elected Officials
Wouldn’t it have been nice to have a “turnover/takeover” document?

7. How good is your department?
Develop discussion
What does your community think about your department?
Ask students from different size, area departments
Determine if there are any real differences
in the answers given and ask why
Discuss, but do not argue

8. How do you measure it for credibility?
Develop discussion by asking different students:
Performance at emergencies
Community involvement
Fire loss
Response time
Goal Achievement
Surveys --- I.S.O. grading

9. Can you prove it? Develop discussion
Do you have substantive data that is available for
anyone to see?
Do you actually measure your activities, routine and emergency, to a standard?
Do you rely on “Annual Reports” to make your case?
Ask “why” or “why not” where appropriate

10. Management Quandary “Management in today’s fire service
might be characterized as being
a twenty-five year job,
with a ten-year strategic plan,
five-year tenure, and
a one-year appropriation.”
Self explanatory!
The only thing for sure is death and taxes, everything else is suspect over time.

11. Benefits of Conducting a Self Assessment Process
Promotes excellence within the agency
Encourages quality improvement continuously
Provides an evaluation of the agency and services
Identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses
Provides a means for agency growth
Provide a system for international recognition
Provides a mechanism for developing concurrent documents such as strategic plans, risk assessments, written standards of cover, desk top manual
Read aloud to the class
Comment where appropriate
Use examples if possible
Emphasize that these are “some” of the benefits

12. Other accreditation examples
JCAHO
CALEA
APCO
Universities
Park Service

13. What is the Process for Accreditation?
Four main stages:
Applicant
Receive Fire & Emergency Service Self Assessment Manual and supporting documents
18 mos to complete the self assessment
Registered
Access to CFAI network
Receives CFAI newsletter
Discounts on CFAI publications
Accreditation Candidate
After agency has completed the self assessment
CFAI will assign the peer assessment team
Agency conducts Peer site visit
Accredited
After the Commission grants accreditation
On the 5th anniversary, Agency submits the application for re-accreditation

14. Steps to Accreditation
Agency completes Self-Assessment document
On-site peer assessment is conducted
Assessment team submits final report to agency and CFAI with recommendation
CFAI hears report from team leader with agency representative present
CFAI awards or defers Accreditation

15. Self Assessment - Categories
Self-conducted performance evaluations of the following 10 categories:
Governance and Administration
Assessment and Planning
Goals and Objectives
Financial Resources
Programs
Physical Resources
Human Resources
Training and Competency
Essential Resources
External Systems Relationships
Included within each category are criteria that include a measure or an index upon which a judgment or a division can be based. Criteria in the accreditation model define major areas within each category. Within each criterion there are performance indicators that define the desired level of ability to demonstrate a particular task as specified in the accreditation process. The model also includes a comprehensive research and information collection guide that includes checklists, exhibits, benchmarks, references and activities broken down by category. In addition, several appendices necessary for the accreditation process have been developed to address topics including defining the elements of response time, creating standards of response coverage and developing master or strategic plans.

16. Self Assessment – Performance Indicators
Each Category includes a number of criterion (45 total) and performance indicators (total of 244)
Some criterion may not be applicable if your agency does not provide the service, i.e., Marine and Shipboard Firefighting
Performance indicators define the areas where an agency can demonstrate they are addressing criterion
Some performance indicators are designated as Core Competencies (77 of the 244 performance indicators

17. Self Assessment – Core Competencies
Core Competency
An area where an agency must respond when undergoing the actual accreditation process
Considered fire protection basic practices
All 77 Core Competencies must be responded to and approved by the Peer Assessor team to be Accredited

18. Self Assessment – Performance Indicator Responses
Consists of four parts
Description
What an agency has done to meet the intent of the Performance Indicators or Criterion
Appraisal
How well the agency thinks that current activities meet the needs of the item
Plan
Future plans in responding to the intent of the item and noted improvements
Reference
A list citing the supporting exhibit(s) used

19. Self Assessment - Exhibits
Back up responses to Performance Indicators with proof - exhibits
Exhibits
Any document from a variety of media that
Chronicles a requirement
E.g., A contract that details the scope of work contracted for to correct a deficient water supply due to main size
Demonstrates compliance to a requirement
E.g., Inspection and test results of hydrants along the replaced section of fire main
Standard Operating Procedures
You must be doing what you say you are doing!!

20. Steps for Writing Responses
Assign staff members to review the Categories, Criteria, and Performance Indicators to get a feel for the overall system. Use internal expertise to respond to specific areas.
Assign a person to review the Research and Information Collection Guide for the entire Category.
Assign specific Performance Indicators to staff members with knowledge or expertise in that area.

21. Steps for Writing Responses
Have staff WRITE what they have learned about your department’s level of activity. Exhibits that have been found, observation, pertinent facts, and other details.
Evaluate and analyze this information. Identify rates of change, direction of change, nature of change, reasons for change, and amounts of change.
Interpret the data as information.
Prepare a plan statement about what to do with what you know.

22. Purpose of Peer Review:
Peer Assessment
Purpose of Peer Review:
To verify information provided by the agency’s Self-Assessment team in the documentation
To formulate well-rounded team findings, opinions, and recommendations regarding the credibility of an agency to meet its mission
Agency is responsible to prove compliance with requirements for Accreditation
Assessment team validates the proof provided

23. The “Big Four” (or, how to begin)
Risk Assessment
Goals & Objectives
Standard of Cover
Strategic Plan

24. A comprehensive risk assessment must be conducted
Include all fire and non-fire risks
Publish risk assessment results
How does your agency list hazards in your community?
Does your agency pre-plan actions if an emergency occurs in hazardous areas or occupancies?
Does your agency have different levels of hazard? If so, how does your agency categorize the different levels of hazard?
Are the hazards all over your community or only in selected areas?
What does your agency consider a high risk occupancy?
A moderate risk occupancy? A low risk occupancy?

25. Goals & Objectives
Develop a formal goals and objectives program
Include all functional areas of the organization
Obtain employee buy-in

26. Developed from risk assessment and goals & objectives program
Standard of Cover
Developed from risk assessment and goals & objectives program
Public document that defines level of service to the staff, line fire fighters and the public
Service Level Objectives
Fractional vs average times
Agency is divided into fire management zones. A good start would be using fire station first-due as a zone
Survey each zone to determine number, location and category of hazard(s) found
Categorize by magnitude of hazard, for example: high, moderate, or low
Demographics of area need to be identified, for example: population, land use, topography, etc.
Water availability should also be considered
Additionally, a written policy statement should be developed that defines the SERVICE LEVEL OBJECTIVES to emergencies. Fire, EMS, HazMat, etc.

27. Typically a 5-year plan, that addresses: Where are we going?
Strategic Plan
Typically a 5-year plan, that addresses:
Where are we going?
How do we get there?
What is our blueprint for action?
How do we know if we are on track?
Vision / Mission
Strategies
Budget, Operation Plans
Control, Performance Measures

28. Time to Begin!
Assign Accreditation Manager
Form Teams
Assign Performance Indicators and Core Competencies
Begin the process of writing
Accreditation Manager reads/approves them all
Fire Chief review

29. The Commission meets twice a year
Commission Meeting
The Commission meets twice a year
Fire Rescue International Meeting
Spring Meeting
Peer Assessment visit should be completed two months prior to the Commission meeting
Typically, the chief, accreditation manager, and a member of city government attend
Accredited vs. Deferred

30. Questions/Comments? Chief Chris Riley
Work: , Cell:
Paul Cooke, Executive Director, CSFCA
Cell: