The Center for Public Safety Excellence and the International Accreditation Service — a subsidiary of the International Code Council — have partnered to create an accreditation program for fire-prevention and life-safety departments. Based on the draft Accreditation Criteria for Fire Prevention and Life Safety Departments AC426, accreditation by IAS will convey formal recognition to departments that have demonstrated technical competence to administer an effective system of code enforcement, fire prevention, life-safety programs and other functions of fire marshals’ offices.



The accreditation program — which includes onsite review by an IAS assessment team — will evaluate departments in 10 primary categories including governance and administration, risk assessment, goals and objectives, finance, program activity, physical resources, human resources, training and competency, essential resources, and external systems relations.

The accreditation program is currently in the alpha testing stage, with the first fire and life safety department going through the evaluation process. The draft accreditation criteria used to evaluate departments has been developed with input from the fire community, stakeholders, and the IAS Technical Advisory Council. Final approval of the draft criteria by the IAS Accreditation Committee is expected in late 2010. IAS is accepting applications for accreditation under the draft criteria and will work with applicants as the criteria evolve or further changes are proposed.


The CPSE is developing training materials and will be conducting workshops for departments interested in learning about the criteria for becoming accredited.



For more information, click on the Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation AC 426 program page on the IAS Web site or call 866-427-4422.