Accreditation

More Information

For additional information on the accreditation system, contact the Mount Pleasant Fire Department at (843) 884-0623.

Standardization

On August 24, 2001, the Mount Pleasant Fire Department (MPFD) became the first government agency in South Carolina to receive accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) in New Orleans, Louisiana.

MPFD brought standardization to the forefront of a national debate on professional excellence and accountability. Mount Pleasant broke ground when it became one of only 53 other fire agencies worldwide to have reached that level and the 51st agency in the United States. MPFD expanded on that record, when it became one of 21 cities in the United States to have both fire and police departments accredited.

CFAI Peer Team Leader Fire Chief Jack Krakeel recommended MPFD as a credible department for accreditation. “Over the past ten years, MPFD has implemented an amazing number of quality programs for the benefit of the community. It has done so with an extraordinary show of support from its municipal leaders who should be commended for their dedication to professional excellence,” said the Fulton County fire chief.

Quotes from the Fire Chiefs

“Would you attend a college that wasn’t accredited? Would you go to a doctor that wasn’t licensed? Would you let an unlicensed contractor build your house? The same logic applies to emergency services that often deal with critical situations on a daily basis. This accreditation tells our residents that we have reached a new level of standardization in our field and that we are ready to apply these skills to the daily business of saving lives, educating the community and serving our residents,” said Fire Chief Herb Williams.

“Accreditation is becoming an important tool for professional groups that adopt industry-wide benchmarks for management and organization. As governments and fire services are more scrutinized, it becomes critical for fire and emergency agencies to answer to a well-defined, easily recognized set of standards. Our ability to measure performance will directly benefit our residents at all levels of service,” he added.

Self-Assessments

CFAI provide a self-assessment process for fire and emergency services agencies focusing on three areas. Agencies review their effectiveness, their goals, objectives and mission, and finally the reasons for their success. This process promotes excellence within the fire department, encourages quality improvement, provides a detailed evaluation of the services to the community, and identifies areas of strength and weakness.

In 1996, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International City / County Managers Association (ICMA) created the CFAI after a decade of development on the part of fire service leaders and local government officials. CFAI is a nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive system of fire and emergency services evaluation to help local governments determine their risks and fire safety needs.

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