On April 17th, 16 new SVFD recruits began EMT School. They will participate in 6 weeks of class, learning the ins-and-outs of EMS and then proceed...
16 New Recruits Enter SVFD’s New EMT Basic School
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SVFD Again Earns Accreditation
One of Only 220 Worldwide to Achieve Prestigious Designation
Spokane Valley, Wash. – Following months of preparation, the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) last week again successfully earned Accreditation by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). Five years ago, SVFD became an Internationally Accredited Agency and joined the elite ranks of just over 200 fire/rescue departments worldwide to achieve this designation. On August 17, the Commission unanimously approved SVFD’s Accreditation for another five years (through 2021).
Accreditation is a comprehensive, rigorous self-assessment and evaluation model that promotes excellence and continuous quality improvement leading to higher service delivery levels for citizens.
“We are extremely pleased with the Commission’s unanimous support,” said Bryan Collins, Fire Chief. “Accreditation is the mark of an agency that understands the importance of continuous improvement. SVFD provides high quality emergency services, but we are always looking to improve. Through the Accreditation process, we have recommendations that we’ll be working toward for the next five years.”
The Accreditation process enables fire and emergency service agencies to examine past, current and future service levels and internal performance and compare them to industry best practices. This allows the organization to determine community risk and safety needs and develop community-specific Standards of Cover, evaluate the performance of the department, and establish a method for achieving continuous organizational improvement.
For SVFD, the accreditation process has resulted in the development and maintenance of key planning documents including a Comprehensive Risk Assessment, Strategic Plan, Self-Assessment Manual and Standard of Cover. These documents were carefully reviewed, validated and verified by a CFAI-assigned mentor and experienced Peer Review Team.
CFAI administers the Accreditation Program for the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). The CFAI accreditation process provides a well-defined, internationally-recognized benchmark system to measure the quality of fire and emergency services. For details, visit www.cpse.org.
About SVFD – Spokane Valley Fire Department serves the City of Spokane Valley, City of Liberty Lake, City of Millwood and unincorporated areas of Spokane County with a combined population of 125,000 across approximately 75 square miles. SVFD firefighters and paramedics responded to more than 15,800 emergency calls in 2015. For more, visit www.spokanevalleyfire.com or call 928-1700.
Did you Know?
- You can sign up for a station tour. Great for small groups.
- You should replace the batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year.
- Creating a defensible space with regards to wildfires could just save your home or property.
- We have Friends & Family CPR classes every month.
