Accreditation
The Charleston Fire Department is an accredited agency through the Center for Public Safety Excellence. The Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) model provides a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation process that enables fire and emergency service agencies to examine performance levels and compare them to industry best practices. Departments are required to develop a community-driven strategic plan, standards of cover assessment and an extensive risk analysis of the community they serve. The model examines 244 performance indicators that must be verified through an on-site peer review by subject matter experts from around the country.
The process helps us work towards, achieve, and maintain:
- Greater community alignment.
- Encourages quality improvement.
- Facilitates input from and builds positive relationships within our team.
- Identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses.
- Allows for the establishment of a plan for improvement.
- Provides data supported decision-making.
- Communicates management and leadership philosophies.
- Ensures your agency has a defined mission and related objectives.
- Encourages the development of organizational procedural documents.
CFAI completed a comprehensive review and appraisal of the Charleston Fire Department and granted the department Accredited status in 2015. The CFD became the eighth department in South Carolina and the 208th in the United States to receive accreditation.
The CFD received Reaccredited status in 2021 following a comprehensive review of documents, peer assessment, and a unanimous decision by the CFAI. The CFD is now one of twenty-nine departments in South Carolina and one of 284 in the United State to receive accreditation.