President's Report »

CPC Chairman's Report »

The Past, the CMO, and the Future »

Commission on Professional Credentialing Designates Chief Fire Officers »

CFAI Vice Chairman's Report »

CFAI Workshop Curriculum »

2009 CPSE Conference Workshops and Events »

New Annual Compliance Report Process »

Upcoming Workshops »

CFAI Standards of Cover, 5th Edition - What's Changed? »

2009 CFAI Fee Structure »

Focus On: Reminders »

As we begin the New Year, I think we all share a common theme of a hope for a better year than many of us experienced in 2008. A week has not gone by without reading about a fire service agency challenged with budget cuts and the potential of downsizing of the workforce. While we look for a turnaround this year, we wish our President the wisdom and courage to lead this country over the next four years.

The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) has found itself not only continuing to promote excellence in the programs delivered, but also assisting departments in articulating why their services are so critical. During such a difficult economic time, many of these agencies have found the accreditation and credentialing programs to be their lifeline. In fact, last December one chief told me if it had not been for the accreditation his department received and the standard of cover document that had been repeatedly taken to the city council, the department would have had to close even more stations and lay off more firefighters than they were required to.

This points to the fact that in difficult economic times the lifeline to maintaining our level of service often depends on data developed and analyzed as part of a comprehensive risk assessment in the standard of cover process. This process provides a very clear picture of what an agency is doing and why, and can be easily communicated to local elected officials. At times like these I ask myself why every department is not engaged in this process, and why every fire chief is not moving toward becoming a chief fire officer (CFO). The level of credibility in the budget process regarding service levels is in direct alignment with being an accredited agency and being a CFO. In my organization I have seen the impact of the economic crisis hit very quickly. I am glad we have a standard of cover document to refer to and help guide us through these very difficult times.

As many of you know, we have a new executive director since the first week of November, Paul Brooks. All I can say is what a find! He has done an outstanding job in just the first couple of months on the job. He will take CPSE to a new level, and his leadership, insightfulness, and organizational skills are already being felt not only among those intimately involved in the organization but also throughout the fire service.

Some quick updates: the Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC) crossed a milestone last quarter with more than 650 credentialed chief officers. Very positive feedback has been received on the release of the fifth edition of the Standards of Cover (SOC) manual, with over 600 copies already shipped since November 1, 2008. The Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) is already working on the Eighth Edition - Fire and Emergency Service Self Assessment Manual (FESSAM), as well as the new curriculum already introduced for both FESSAM and SOC workshops during the past few months.

Our international presence continues to grow with basic workshops presented in Italy this January to four Department of Defense facilities. We continue to enhance our technology by delivering the peer assessment workshop in spring 2009. You will see shortly a continued update of the CPSE website, based on our work with many focus groups to determine which updates are necessary to make the website more user-friendly.

On a final note, CPSE Board Secretary/Treasurer Mike Worthington underwent surgery in January to replace his cochlear implant—the device that allows Mike to hear. Please drop him an email and let him and Anne know you are thinking of them.

Be safe.

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It is always interesting to look at the "help wanted" advertisements for open positions. They usually list a host of requirements. However, one that recently caught my eye—for a fire chief position in a relatively large area—had simple requirements. "Candidate must be academically and technically qualified for the position of fire chief"!

Do you need to be a certified fire officer? Do you need to be a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT)? Do you need to have an associate's degree—or perhaps a master's degree—in fire protection? Do you need to have 25 years' experience? These are all good questions, and I don't have the answers for that hiring agency. I do have my answer: be Chief Fire Officer designated!

What does it mean to be Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designated? It means that from an academic standpoint you meet the criteria to participate in the process—usually through a bachelor's degree and experience, but sometimes with an associate's degree combined with more experience or a master's degree with less experience. Other CFO requirements include:

• Relative certifications, which may include fire officer, fire instructor, and even firefighter. I think there may be a smattering of EMS certifications as well! CFOs also look globally for education, such as in the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy.
• Giving back by instructing those rising through the ranks behind you at state fire schools or other venues. This may also involve authoring newsletter or magazine articles, or writing research papers.
• Active community participation in civic clubs, Scouting, soup kitchens, or other community service arenas.
• Active membership in groups that support your emergency service affiliations. Fire chiefs should be members of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and their home fire chiefs association, and instructors should be in an appropriate instructor association.
• The support of your supervisor and endorsement by your peers and colleagues with letters of reference.
• Goals that will guide you through your career and beyond, like those we teach every firefighter recruit: Make goals and write them down!

I guess it is actually very easy to define "academically and technically qualified to be a fire chief." Become Chief Fire Officer designated!

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As we close out 2008 and approach the end of this first decade of the new millennium (was Y2K really that long ago?), we should pause and take this opportunity to reflect back over the last few years. Why? Because history tends to be the best indicator of the future.

We have seen a number of advances in emergency medical services (EMS) since 2000. Automated external defibrillators (AED) are much more common today than in 2000. The ability to conduct 12 lead electrocardiograms in the field, the advent of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, electronic patient care reports, and carbon monoxide monitoring are also significant advances. A variety of documents, including the EMS Agenda for the Future and the Institute of Medicine report, have attempted to raise awareness of and provide solutions for EMS issues. Technology will only get better, and we should keep seeing new tools that will allow us to provide better care.

Unfortunately, we also have seen an increase in the number of medical helicopter crashes and lives lost. Questions have been raised about the efficiency of EMS, cardiac arrest save rates, and adequate funding. Pay, recruitment, and retention continue to plague agencies across the United States. Some groups have called for the creation of a National EMS Academy, similar to the National Fire Academy, based on the belief that EMS has not been adequately addressed in the way firefighting and law enforcement have been. In some fire-based EMS systems, EMS still has not been completely accepted as an integral part of the fire service, and EMS professionals are not treated as equals to firefighters. Despite all of our advances, we still have a lot to do.

However, a significant achievement was made in 2008 when the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE)—through its Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC)—established the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) designation. After more than 30 years in existence, we finally have an opportunity to recognize the efforts of our EMS professionals who serve as their organizations' leaders and managers. While this doesn't address every level of management in EMS, it serves as the basis to further expand EMS credentialing and certification beyond that of a practitioner.

In September 2007, the CPSE asked 15 people to voluntarily participate in the beta test process of the CMO designation. Nine of them accepted and submitted the required portfolio and application by the established deadline. Of these nine, five met the educational requirements and received the designation in January 2008. The other four had to complete the technical competencies portion, and by May of this year they too were designated as CMOs. Twenty-seven people have received the CMO designation to date.

The CMO process closely follows the CFO process. Applicants must submit a portfolio that outlines their career, including education, experience, leadership, management, community service, professional contributions, and technical competencies. The process also provides credit for completing the two EMS management classes at the National Fire Academy: Management of EMS (MEMS) and Advanced Leadership Issues in EMS (ALIEMS).

This thorough process offers an excellent opportunity for advancement in the EMS profession. The creation of this new designation is a huge step in the right direction for EMS and provides one more building block for working with all of our partners to further EMS as a whole. We know that our workload will continue to increase, staffing and funding will continue to be a challenge, and there is a lot of work ahead of us. We know where we need to go, and we need to continue to focus on getting there. There have been many important advances and improvements over the last eight years, and these should serve as our launching pad into the future. Hopefully, it won't take another 30 years for the next significant achievement to occur.

Article originally appeared in On Scene, December 2008.

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The Commission on Professional Credentialing conferred 26 new CFOs and re-designated 11 during its meetings on October 1, 2008, and December 10, 2008. Please extend congratulations to the following:

CFO DESIGNEES

Paul A. Adams, Avondale, AZ
Karl A. Bauer, Avon, CO
Michael J. Bertolino, Jeannette, PA
Arthur R. Bousquet, Hallandale Beach, FL
Steven K. Brooks, Lacey, WA
Mark A. Carr, New Britain, CT
Kenneth D. Caudle, Huntley, IL
Glenn Davis, Helena, MT
Matt D. Davis, Wilmington, NC
Robert W. Eick, Pt. Huron, MI
Donnie Ray Hall, Wilmington, NC
Mark W. Herendeen, Morrow, GA
Kenneth L. Jones, Newport News, VA
Corey J. Landry, Durham, NH
William R. Metcalf, Fallbrook, CA
Michael Kyle Minick, North Charleston, SC
John E. Parow, Chelmsford, MA
David R. Peterson, Grand Rapids, MI
Jeffrey E. Pollard, Rock Spring, GA
Randy Scott Redmond, Sierra Vista, AZ
Kevin W. Richardson, Coppell, TX
Jonathan S. Smith, Milwaukie, OR
Christopher B. Sproule, Las Vegas, NV
Phillip B. Welch, Jr., Dallas, NC
Scott A. Wiggin, Bedford, NH
Michael W. Winters, Cheney, WA

CFO RE-DESIGNEES

Thomas M. Billington, Stuart, FL
John M. Buckman III, Indianapolis, IN
Harry R. Carter, Adelphia, NJ
Douglas E. Chappell, Tucson, AZ
David C. Dayringer, Tulsa, OK
James W. Dominik, Wilmette, IL
Richard "Smokey" Dyer, Kansas City, MO
Al H. Gillespie, North Las Vegas, NV
Gary R. Johnson, Marysville, OH
Rick D. McIntyre, Jacksonville, NC
Dennis Wolf, Germantown, TN

To view a complete list of CFOs, click here.

The Commission on Professional Credentialing recently conferred the following CMO designees. Congratulations!

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With 2009 upon us, the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) has some exciting things in store for this year! The number of agencies participating in the accreditation process has grown to more than 350, as word spreads on the value of outside agency review of our processes. As a sitting fire chief, I can tell you that the value of accreditation is much more than the plaque on the wall or the stickers on the rigs. The value is in the journey that we took to get there.

Once I was asked, "I know what you do for me Chief, but can you tell me what you are worth?" I had great difficulty answering that question, but the accreditation process has really helped me to determine our worth. Aligning our programs with nationally accepted practices for fire service agencies has value beyond description. Budget justifications, while only a small part of accreditation, have forced us to link expenditures to services we provide. I realize we all face tough economic times, and any process that we can use to articulate our requirements, while still providing superb service to our community, is a definite advantage during budgetary discussions. Simply stated, accreditation provides recognition of a department's ability to meet established standards.

Workshop participation is growing exponentially as well, and we are likely coming to a location near you! We have already conducted workshops in Florida and Texas, and even held a workshop in Naples, Italy. Future locations this year include Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas (again), Washington, and three Department of Defense locations including California, Florida, and Texas.

Don't need a workshop? No worries; we have activities for you too. We are conducting an Accreditation Manager's Workshop in Orlando, FL, on March 11 and 12, in conjunction with our spring meeting at the Caribe Royale. We have a robust schedule that will include sessions on writing your self-assessment manual, strategic planning, digitizing your exhibits, and the Eighth Edition - Fire and Emergency Service Self Assessment Manual (FESSAM) (to be published early summer). The program is a great way for an accreditation manager and team to stay informed about new tools to help you be successful. In addition, we will conduct an advanced Standards of Cover (SOC) Workshop on March 13, at the same location, that will introduce the newest edition of the SOC manual. If you cannot make it in March, consider joining us in August, in conjunction with Fire Rescue International in Dallas.

Do you know someone who is considering accreditation but is not sure if they "have the time"? Share your experiences with them! I like to tell folks who believe this process is too cumbersome that it is likely they don't really understand the process (or the value) of accreditation. I sent two kids through institutions of higher education, and there is no way I would have sent them to a non-accredited university. Law enforcement, hospitals, jails, 911 centers, and even parks and recreation programs have accreditation processes.

Fire service accreditation provides agencies with the tools to evaluate their operations while improving their level of efficiency and effectiveness. The validation of the process is in the subsequent peer assessment. In a 1999 article in The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, R. Falzarano stated, "Accreditation represents the first step in establishing law enforcement as a profession." Is the fire service ready to meet his challenge? Can it ever be a negative to evaluate ourselves and then ask a group of professional peers to evaluate our programs? I submit there is no better process on the planet!

The end of January 2009 marks a significant change in our basic workshop curriculum. Self-Assessment has been overhauled and is no longer objective-based with participant exercises. It has expanded from one day to two. The new basic Standard of Cover curriculum is near complete and will continue to be a one-day curriculum. The Peer Assessor workshop will no longer be offered as part of the live basic workshop series; it is being redeveloped into an online presentation that we will provide at various times throughout the year via webinar.

The feedback on the new curriculum has been overwhelmingly positive and we are excited to begin offering the new basic series. We plan on conducting our second pilot in Orlando, FL, on March 10, 2009. If you have not attended our workshops in a while or you are an accreditation manager who has not attended our workshops, you should take a look at our upcoming events and consider attending. We are confident that you will enjoy and benefit from the experience.

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Don't miss your opportunity to attend. While in Orlando, you and your family can take advantage of special Walt Disney World¨ Meeting and Convention ticket offers. For details visit Disney/CPSE.

Workshops:

CFO/CMO: A Guide to Completing the Designation Process
This four-hour program will cover the benefits of professional designation, understanding the components of the process, preparing your application portfolio, and maintaining the designation.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Cost: $50.00

Accreditation Managers Workshop
This is the one time each year when the focus is on the accreditation manager, with a 16-hour agenda built primarily on the input from accreditation managers themselevs. More important, this workshop offers a rare opportunity for accreditation managers to network, share ideas, and learn how others are dealing with challenges like their own. There is no prerequisite for attendance, but the sessions are developed with the understanding that the student has already completed the CFAI workshop series (Self-Assessment, Standard of Cover, and Peer Assessor).

Wednesday and Thursday, March 11-12, 2009
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. each day
Cost: $425.

Standard of Cover - Advanced Workshop
This eight-hour program provides a comprehensive, in-depth look at resource deployment planning and risk analysis. Participants can see how various products on the market can help an organization accomplish in-depth analysis toward establishing or updating their standard of cover as prescribed by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

Friday, March 13, 2009
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $325

Attend both the Accreditation Managers and Standard of Cover - Advanced Workshops for just $625.

Events:

All events will be held at the Caribe Resorts, Orlando, FL. CPSE has secured a room block for the week of the conference. For additional information regarding the resort or to book your hotel reservations, click here.

CFAI Business Meeting
Monday, March 9, 2009
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

CPC Business Meeting
Monday, March 9, 2009
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

CFAI Agency Accreditation Meeting
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

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CFAI has implemented a new Annual Compliance Report (ACR) review process. Upon the approval of the CFAI Chairman, a Technical Working Group (TWG) was created to assist with reviewing the ACRs. All approved TWG members have been through orientation and training and have begun reviewing. The accreditation manager will serve as the point of contact for the reviewer if questions and/or clarifications are needed.

We expect this new process to enhance the depth of the ACR process and provide for more timely responses to the agency on the Statement of Findings that are being forwarded to the Commission.

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February 18-20, 2009
Boise, ID
Self-Assessment and SOC Basic

March 9-11, 2009
Spokane, WA
Self-Assessment and SOC Basic

March 10, 2009
Orlando, FL
CFO/CMO: A Guide to Completing the Process

March 11-12, 2009
Orlando, FL
Accreditation Managers

March 13, 2009
Orlando, FL
Standards of Cover - Advanced

March 25-27, 2009
O'Fallon, MO
Self-Assessment and SOC Basic

April 15-17, 2009
Brownsburg, IN
Self-Assessment and SOC Basic

April 21-23, 2009
Nashville, TN
Self-Assessment and SOC Basic

May 26-28, 2009
Corpus Christi, TX
DoD Personnel Only
Self-Assessment and SOC Basic

July 14-16, 2009
Elgin AFB, IL
DoD Personnel Only
Self-Assessment and SOC Basic

August 10-12, 2009
Southaven, MS
Self-Assessment and SOC Basic

August 25, 2009
FRI, Dallas, TX
Chief Officer Designation - A Guide to Completing the Designation Process

August 25-26, 2009
FRI, Dallas, TX
Self-Assessment

August 27, 2009
FRI, Dallas, TX
SOC-Basic

September 15-17, 2009
Mirimar, CA
DoD Personnel Only
Self-Assessment and SOC Basic

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Since the release of our 5th edition of the Standards of Cover (SOC) manual in November, it has sold faster than any other publication that we offered. The question on the minds of some of our candidates for accreditation/reaccreditation is: "Do we have to comply with this edition?"

The most current edition of the Fire and Emergency Services Self-Assessment Manual (FESSAM) contains the accreditation model and its requirements. Any other publication—including the SOC manual—is a resource to help increase understanding of key topics and processes that are contained within the self-assessment process.

Another comment I have heard a time or two is: "Wow, there are a lot of changes!" Actually, there are no changes. The 5th edition simply does a better job explaining what the 4th edition was trying to do. There are no new factors or concepts—just more comprehensive explanation and examples.

Standard of Cover has been and will continue to be one of the most challenging issues that the Fire Service will face. We hope that this publication will assist you with overcoming this challenge and set your organization on a clear path of defining community risk and relating all organizational deployment to that risk. This topic will be discussed in greater detail at our upcoming 2009 Accreditation Manager's Workshop. We hope to see you there!

To purchase your copy, click here to download an order form.

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Registered Agency Fees - $500

Applicant Agency Fees -

Accredited Agency Fees -

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Accredited agencies with a March anniversary date must submit their ACRs on or before February 15, 2009.

Accredited agencies that are requesting to become a candidate for re-accreditation must submit their Self-Assessment Manual, Standard of Cover, and Strategic Plan no less than six months prior to the anniversary date.

All Applicant and Re-Accredited Agencies must be using the 7th Edition Fire and Emergency Self-Assessment Manual.

If you have a change in agency head or accreditation manager, you must submit an agency update form, which is located on our website under "Resources."

If you want to stay up-to-date on changes within any SharePoint site, set your alerts to that site.

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