Key Improvements Address Current and Future Needs of Fire and Emergency Services

An industry-wide effort to gather input on the 10th Edition of the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) model was recently completed. The outcome is a contemporary self-assessment model for fire and emergency service departments worldwide. The 10th Edition is effective for agencies appearing before CFAI for accreditation starting March 2022. CPSE’s board of directors approved revisions proposed by the fire and emergency services community to ensure the accreditation model meets future needs.

CPSE would like to thank all of the industry experts and volunteers who participated in this process and provided their valuable feedback. Your contribution was essential to the development of the 10th Edition. Agencies active with CFAI will receive a mark-up of showing the changes from the 9th to the 10th Edition before the end of 2019. Publications and training on the new Edition will be publicly available by mid-2020.

How did we get here?

The highly collaborative development process of the 10th Edition involved numerous opportunities for input and feedback. The initiative began in November 2018 when CPSE partners and stakeholder organizations met to conduct an initial analysis of the 9th Edition and brainstorm enhancement opportunities. From there, a team of more than 60 volunteers comprised of subject matter experts examined the model and provided recommendations to make the 10th Edition better aligned with current and anticipated challenges of departments worldwide. CPSE additionally hosted a 9th Edition feedback session during their annual Excellence Conference and conducted in-person meetings with 18 consortiums across the US and Canada, engaging 469 attendees to discuss needs for the new model.

Proposed revisions to the model were included in a draft of the 10th Edition, which was surveyed through a public comment period with the fire and emergency services community that took place during the month of September 2019.

What are the improvements?

Key updates from the 9th to the 10th Edition included:

  • Minimization of redundancies and providing clarity of accreditation criteria
  • Removal, revision, and addition of performance indicators and core competencies
  • Addition of a new Category 11 dedicated to health and safety
  • Addition of a new criterion for Category 9 that focuses on information technology

Additional information about the development of the 10th Edition is available at cpse.org/cfai10. Join the conversation on Twitter using #CFAI10.