Fire Department Earns Reaccreditation

Fire Department Earns Reaccreditation
Posted on 07/27/2017
Firefighters receiving awary

July 27, 2017

For the fourth consecutive time, the Lenexa Fire Department has been accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) at a commission hearing in Charlotte, North Carolina on July 26. There are only 233 international agencies who have received accreditation from CFAI, placing the Lenexa Fire Department among the nation’s elite.

“We are proud to have earned a unanimous vote of approval from CFAI,” said Lenexa Fire Chief Lonny Owens. “The process to earn accreditation is rigorous, and staff from many city departments and our other partner agencies – such as Johnson County Emergency Communications Center and WaterOne – worked diligently so we could keep this important designation. Specifically, I would like to thank the members of the Lenexa Fire Department whose outstanding efforts led to this successful outcome.”

CFAI accreditation is a comprehensive self-assessment and quality improvement model that enables organizations to examine past, current, and future service levels and internal performance and compare them to current research and industry best practices. This process leads to a more efficient and effective emergency service organization.

The Lenexa Fire Department was first accredited in 2002 and was the first department in the state of Kansas to earn the distinction.

In addition to accreditation, the Lenexa Fire Department is one of only a handful of fire departments in the U.S. to have earned an elite Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1 rating. Less than a quarter of one percent of fire departments earn this top rating, which measures the quality and effectiveness of municipal fire protection. Very few agencies across the country who are accredited by CFAI also have an ISO Class 1 rating.

Lenexa City Administrator Eric Wade and Johnson County Emergency Communication Center Director Ellen Wernicke joined members of the Lenexa Fire Department for the accreditation review.