To encourage fire chiefs to consider the designation process both for themselves and their departments, the Center for Public Safety Excellence will be presenting case studies, leadership stories and accreditation steps in Fire Chief throughout 2007. To begin, we'd like to explain more about the CPSE.

In December 1996, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International City Managers Association formally created a trust known as the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. It was just eight years earlier that the IAFC and the ICMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing both organizations to the development of a voluntary national fire service accreditation program. The focus was to develop a comprehensive fire system to assist local government in risk management evaluation to establish performance goals and to link long-term strategic planning to the development of a standard of cover document. As one who served on the development task force and on the original commission, we have much to be proud of.

Yet much has changed in the last 10 years in our industry, including the demands that have been placed on us. In response to the changes, it became evident that our original name no longer reflected all that we do today, which prompted a corporate name change to the CPSE. During the last decade the accreditation model has continued to evolve; it also has fostered multiple spin-offs in areas of quality improvement and professional development.

Today, the CPSE oversees two separate commissions: the CFAI and the Commission on Professional Credentialing. While these two programs have become the foundation for the CPSE, the mission continues to expand.

Recently, the CPSE established partnerships with the ICMA to explore improving the ability to evaluate emergency management at the local level. This cooperative work will culminate either in the enhancement of the existing accreditation model specific to the emergency management area or will result in the creation of an independent commission to evaluate emergency management and response at the local level, similar to that of the CFAI.

The development of a credentialing program for fire inspectors, which is known as FIRES, is the first of its kind to use virtual-reality software developed in conjunction with the International Code Council and with funding from the U.S. Fire Administration. The program is designed to be completed on a PC and prepares line officers and firefighters to become certified inspectors through the ICC.

This past year the Vision software was introduced, which is a risk management software tool developed in partnership with Emergency Reporting Incorporated. Additional elements are planned for the software including validation studies that are being performed through a partnership with the IAFF, IAFC and ICMA and conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The study is under way; when completed, it will provide the basis for comprehensive risk management software that will assist agencies in performing risk assessment for fire, EMS and homeland security.

The former Chief Fire Officer Designation program is now the Commission on Professional Credentialing, and its mission focuses on continuous professional improvement. The CPC not only confers CFO designation upon command officers but also continues to expand its mission by overseeing the credentialing program for fire inspectors and GIS technicians. In addition, the CPC is in the development phase of creating a mentoring program for new chief officers and CFO candidates.

Even though the corporate name has changed and the corporate and commission logos have been updated, the mission remains the same: the promotion of continuous quality improvement to the fire service both at the organizational and personal level.

As our services continue to evolve and expand, the CPSE is positioned to be an influential force for the fire service for years to come.