The City of Delaware Fire Department has earned Accredited Agency status from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) for meeting criteria established through the CFAI’s voluntary self-assessment and accreditation program.
Delaware is one of only 289 departments worldwide to be accredited, and one of only 10 in Ohio. The accreditation was awarded May 18 and will remain valid for five years.
“One of my goals since I arrived here was to pursue accreditation,” Delaware Fire Chief John Donahue said. “This is a similar process used by hospitals, colleges, and industry that validates the fire department programs and ensure that they are in alignment with the community and local government.”
Donahue said for the Delaware community, having an accredited agency means a constant focus on continual improvement, service delivery, and overall performance.
The local process was led by Delaware Capt. John Hall. In April, a team of peer assessors from throughout the United States spent three days in Delaware, conducting interviews and evaluating the department’s self-assessment.
“The goal is achieving excellence through self-assessment and continuous quality improvement,” Hall said.
According to the CPSE, agencies spend approximately 2,000 hours preparing the required accreditation documents and up to 13,000 hours addressing what is learned from the self-assessment.
