CPSE Announces Board Approval of Fire and Emergency Service Accreditation Model Updates

RESTON, VA—The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), today announced the approval of the 11th Edition of the Fire and Emergency Services Self-Assessment Model (FESSAM). The CPSE Board of Directors analyzed the revisions proposed to ensure the model meets future needs and approved the 11th Edition FESSAM during their December 2024 Board Meeting in Reston, VA.

“As part of CPSE’s commitment to progressive leadership and continuous improvement, the CFAI 11th Edition FESSAM will serve as the new model for fire and emergency service accreditation,” said Mary Cameli, CFO, CPSE President and Fire Chief, Mesa (AZ) Fire and Medical Department. “We are fortunate to be a part of this industry progression and anticipate many benefits of using this optimized model beginning in 2027.”

The initiative began in December 2022 when CPSE designed a multi-year plan to engage partners, stakeholders, and subject matter experts in the FESSAM development. Throughout 2023, CPSE met with key industry partners, IAFC, IAFF, ICMA, NFPA, NVFC, and USFA, to gather their insights on challenges facing the industry. That same year, CPSE conducted a public input process to gather input on potential changes to the existing 10th Edition FESSAM.

CPSE invited and selected 105 volunteers to serve on the technical working group that developed the draft 11th Edition FESSAM: a 75 percent increase in volunteers between the 10th and 11th editions development processes. These volunteers represented local, state, and federal government, national fire and emergency service organizations, and research institutions. The draft 11th Edition FESSAM was released for public comment in July 2024 and received 111 responses.

“Our goal in developing the 11th Edition FESSAM was to engage a wide and diverse group of stakeholders to ensure CPSE continues to lead the fire and emergency service to excellence,” shared Preet Bassi, CAE, CPSE CEO. “The feedback from our internal and external stakeholders and keen review of our volunteers has led to the most collaboratively developed version of the model.”

Throughout the development process a steering committee comprising an accreditation manager, agency head, commissioner, peer assessor, and team leader served as a sounding board. The 11th Edition FESSAM received formal approval by CFAI in November 2024 and by the CPSE Board in December 2024.

Notable changes from the 10th to 11th Edition FESSAM include:

• Minimization of redundancies and increased clarity of accreditation criteria
• Additional criterion and core competencies specifically targeted at agencies who perform EMS patient transportation services.
• Specific criterion and core competencies focused on the responsibilities of an assigned public information officer.
• Expanded focus on areas impacting firefighters’ mental health and wellness.
• New and expanded performance indicators addressing labor-management interaction
• Recommendations for departments to have an ethical AI use policy, language diversity in community materials, current codes, pre-incident response plans, and expanded PPE policies.

The FESSAM is used to guide fire and emergency services agencies around the world through accreditation with a focus on performance measurement, self-assessment, and quality improvement.

“Input from the fire and emergency services professionals who dedicated their time to this important project is valuable to the advancement of the industry,” said James White, CFO, CFAI Program Manager. “Their first-hand insight from the field is evident in this new model and will help agencies build upon strengths and determine opportunities for improving emergency response in their communities.”

Materials and training related to the 11th Edition FESSAM will be released throughout 2025. The 10th Edition FESSAM will remain in effect for agencies appearing before CFAI until Summer 2026. Agencies that come before the commission starting in Spring 2027 will receive accreditation under the 11th Edition FESSAM.

Additional information about the development of the 11th Edition FESSAM is available at cpse.org/cfai11.

About CFAI
Fire department accreditation, through the Commission on Fire Accreditaiton International, is a process in which departments undergo a thorough self-assessment focused on identifying strengths and areas for improvement. The Fire and Emergency Services Assessment Model (FESSAM) is the cornerstone of the agency accreditation process. Accreditation is awarded to agencies that meet performance indicators within the FESSAM following a site visit and public hearing.

About CPSE
The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) is an international technical organization committed to leading the fire and emergency service industry to excellence through the continuous quality improvement process of accreditation, credentialing, and education. A not-for-profit 501(c) (3) corporation, CPSE offers programs and solutions to assist departments and personnel with the tools necessary to excel in the delivery of fire and emergency services. Learn more at cpse.org.