August 21, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH2003-29) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION R. Steve Huffman Public Information Officer (251) 208-5806/Fax: (251) 208-5813 E-Mail: huffman@cityofmobile.org THREE CHIEF OFFICERS RECEIVE SPECIAL DESIGNATION DALLAS, Texas - Three Chief Officers with Mobile Fire-Rescue Department received the designation of Chief Fire Officer (CFO) from the Commission on Chief Fire Officer Designation (CFOD) in a ceremony that took place in Dallas, Texas today, Thursday, August 21, 2003. Also the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department received its accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). Both ceremonies were part of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Annual Fire-Rescue International Conference 2003. Those Officers receiving the special designation were Fire Chief Stephen A. Dean, Assistant Fire Chief Michael O. Byrd and Deputy Chief William (Billy) Pappas. The CFO program is a voluntary program designed to recognize individuals who can show their excellence in 7 measured components including: Experience, Education, Professional Development, Professional Contributions, Association Membership, Community Involvement, and Technical Competencies. Achieving a passing score to receive the professional designation of CFO requires the individual to assemble a personal and professional portfolio that illustrates the degree of attainment in each component. Each component is graded separately and a candidate must score a minimum number in each. There are presently only seven (7) fire officers in the State of Alabama with this designation and only 214 in the United States and Canada. Mobile Fire-Rescue Department now has four (4) officers who have achieved this special designation. Fire Chief Stephen Dean, Public Safety Director Richard Cashdollar, and City Councilman Thomas Sullivan were on hand to accept the accreditation presentation on behalf of the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department. Presently there are 65 departments accredited in the country. Mobile will become the first fire department in the State of Alabama. Mobile will also be one of the few cities in the country that has both an accredited fire and police departments. The mission of the CFAI is to assist the fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving excellence through self-assessment and accreditation in order to provide continuous quality improvement and enhancement of service delivery to their communities. The Commission on Fire Accreditation grants accreditation to fire and emergency service agencies upon the successful completion of an in-depth self-assessment, and on-site evaluation. The CFAI self-assessment process has been under development for over 15 years and has involved hundreds of fire service professionals. More information on both programs can be found at www.cfainet.org. ###