NEWS RELEASE	CONTACT:
Release: Immediately	Tim Birr
August 25, 2000	642-0339 (Office)
	940-7608 (Pager)

Fire District Receives Accreditation

 Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue has been notified that it is being accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), culminating a two-year effort by the fire district to achieve this recognition.

The accreditation process is one in which fire departments voluntarily undergo rigorous review by outside evaluators to verify that they are meeting internationally recognized standards of performance. TVF&R is one of less than three dozen fire agencies worldwide that have successfully completed the process.

"This is a huge accomplishment for our organization," says TVF&R Chief Jeff Johnson. "While I’ve long believed we’re a good organization with talented staff, this rigorous external audit has given us independent confirmation and solid advice on how we can be even better."

The accreditation process is highly structured and began for TVF&R nearly two years ago when district staff drafted responses to a lengthy and extensive set of questions covering every aspect of the organization and its work. As part of this self-assessment process, supporting documents – policies, procedural guidelines, statistical reports, and other materials – were assembled to verify the district’s response to the Commission’s inquiries.

Following review by the Commission of the materials submitted by the district, five chief fire officers from around the U.S. conducted a weeklong site visit in May of this year. Over the course of five days, the panel visited TVF&R facilities and interviewed district staff, local officials, and neighboring agencies to verify and further evaluate the district’s operation.

As a result of the visiting panel’s recommendation, Chief Johnson appeared before the Commission on Thursday morning, which was meeting in Dallas, Texas as part of the annual conference of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Following a final interview with members of the Commission, Johnson was informed that TVF&R had successfully completed the accreditation process. Word was received at the fire district’s Aloha headquarters via a phone call from a very pleased fire chief.

The CFAI was formed in 1996 following a decade of development as a joint venture of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International City/County Management Association. The two associations recognized the difficulties faced by local citizens, elected and appointed officials trying to measure fire service performance in the absence of universally recognized standards. The accreditation process allows fire agencies to measure themselves against industry-wide benchmarks. Further, agencies that receive accreditation are required to undergo periodic review in order to maintain their accredited status.