Yuma, Arizona - The Yuma Fire Department has again received its certification as an “Accredited Agency” by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). Fire Service professionals from throughout the country were sent to Yuma in May to inspect facilities, review procedures, and interview personnel.
Recommendations from the May site visit were reviewed for final approval during the Commission’s meeting in August. That meeting was held in conjunction with the annual Fire-Rescue International (FRI) conference in Dallas, Texas.
The award of certification was also announced at last month’s FRI conference. The Yuma Fire Department was first accredited in 2003, and also in 2008 and 2013, when the last site visit was conducted. The Yuma Fire Department is one of only 259 accredited fire departments in the world and one of 11 in Arizona.
Fire Chief Steve Irr said, “This is the result of an effort that included the entire department and took well over a year, but when it comes to process improvement and encouraging best practices, the effort never stops”.
CFAI is committed to improving fire and emergency service agencies around the world. They assist agencies in achieving organizational and professional excellence. This is done through its strategic self-assessment model and accreditation process, which provides continuous quality improvement and enhancement of service delivery to the community.
A briefing was given at Wednesday night’s Yuma City Council meeting which included the presentation of the Award of Certification to Mayor Nicholls.