CaryRealEstate.com is proud to promote another reason that Cary North Carolina is a great place to live! The Town of Cary has just announced the Cary Fire Department ranks as one of the best in the country!
Cary Fire Department Earns International Re-accreditation
CARY, NC – The Town of Cary Fire Department has again been granted international re-accreditation by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). The Commission unanimously approved the Fire Department’s application at its meeting in Chicago. The Town of Cary Fire Department was initially accredited in 1999 and was last re accredited in 2005. The department is one of only 148 fire/rescue agencies in the world to achieve the accredited agency status.
“We are extremely proud to be reaffirmed as a top fire/rescue agency,” said Fire Chief Allan Cain. “Every day, our staff remains focused on providing the best fire protection and rescue services possible to our citizens.”
“We have an exemplary department, and I very much appreciate the staff’s continued commitment to the highest level of professionalism as they risk their lives to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for our citizens,” said Town Manager Ben Shivar.
This past June, a peer review team conducted an on-site visit of the Town of Cary Fire Department, evaluating the agency’s self-assessment manual, community risk analysis, standard of coverage and business plan. The assessment inspects every aspect of Cary’s fire program, including governance and administration, assessment and planning, goals and objectives, financial resources, programs, physical resources, human resources, training and competency, essential resources and external system relationships.
The Cary Fire Department is comprised of 209 full-time employees with a fleet of 15 primary and support vehicles available to respond as needed. The department was originally created in 1921, and until 1960, functioned on an all-volunteer basis with support from the Town and annual fundraisers. Prior to its creation, the Town of Cary relied on the Raleigh Fire Department for its fire and rescue services. For fiscal year 2009, the Cary Fire Department’s annual budget was $16.6 million and the department responded to nearly 7,000 fire and first responder calls. Each year, the Cary Fire Department hosts a week-long fire prevention program, and will expand its services with the new Fire Station 8, set to open fall 2012.
The mission of CFAI is to assist and improve fire and emergency service agencies around the world in achieving organizational and professional excellence through its strategic self-assessment model and accreditation process to provide continuous quality improvement and enhancement of service delivery to the community and the world at large. The CFAI program is a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation model that enables fire and emergency service organizations to examine past, current and future service levels and performance and compare them to industry best practices.
In addition to its fire department, the Town of Cary’s Police and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Departments are also nationally accredited.