Dubuque Fire Department Earns International Reaccreditation
The Dubuque Fire Department has once again earned international accreditation, completing a five-year process that takes a detailed look at how the department operates and serves the community.
According to a recent news release, Dubuque Fire received reaccreditation through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, or CFAI, following an extensive review that included department documentation, a comprehensive self-assessment and an onsite evaluation by a team of fire service peers. The final step took place earlier this week in Chicago, where department representatives appeared before CFAI's 13-member accreditation commission. The commission then voted to grant the department another accreditation cycle.
Dubuque Fire was first accredited in October 2021. The department is now one of roughly 330 agencies in the United States and Canada with CFAI accreditation and one of only six accredited fire departments in the state of Iowa.
The accreditation process is designed to give departments a detailed look at their own operations while comparing their performance with professional standards and industry best practices. For Dubuque Fire, that meant evaluating everything from governance and financial resources to staffing, training, equipment, community risk reduction, health and safety, and relationships with outside agencies.
“This achievement reflects the tremendous commitment of our Fire Department members and the many City departments and partners who supported us throughout the accreditation process. It takes an entire organization working together to critically evaluate how we serve our community, measure our performance against professional standards and industry best practices, and identify opportunities to become better. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed their time, expertise, information, and support along the way. Reaccreditation is certainly something to celebrate, but its greatest value is in the process itself, the commitment to continually learn, improve, and strengthen the service we provide to the Dubuque community.”
-Amy Scheller, Dubuque Fire Chief
As part of the process, the department completed a community risk assessment, developed standards of cover, established a community-driven strategic plan and conducted a self-assessment covering 11 areas of fire and emergency service operations. The goal is not simply to demonstrate that the department is meeting existing standards, but to identify areas where it can continue to improve.
The process also provides an outside perspective. CFAI uses peer assessors from the fire and emergency services to review an agency's work and conduct an onsite assessment. Those reviewers help verify the department's findings and determine whether it has met the requirements for accreditation.
A broad group of Dubuque representatives participated in the final review, including Fire Chief Amy Scheller, Deputy Fire Chief Martin FitzPatrick, Battalion Chief and Accreditation Manager Josh Knepper, EMS Bureau Chief Sam Janecke, Dubuque Professional Firefighters Local 25 President Will Sullivan, and City Manager Mike Van Milligen.
For Dubuque residents, the reaccreditation is ultimately less about a designation and more about the work behind it. The process gives the Fire Department a framework for continually evaluating its services, preparing for community risks and looking for ways to strengthen emergency response.
After five years of assessment and review, Dubuque Fire has demonstrated that it continues to meet the professional standards required for international accreditation.
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