Garner Fire-Rescue Again Ranks Among Few Internationally Accredited Departments

GARNER, N.C. – Garner Fire-Rescue has earned international accreditation for the second consecutive time, placing the department among fewer than one percent of fire departments worldwide to hold the designation.

The department received accreditation Aug. 18 during a hearing before the Commission on Fire Accreditation International at the Center for Public Safety Excellence headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois.

Garner Fire-Rescue first received the accreditation in July 2021. Accreditation is awarded in five-year cycles.

“Achieving accreditation demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality of service to our community,” Fire Chief Barrett Penny said. “More important, it reflects the dedication of our members and our willingness as an organization to continuously evaluate ourselves.”

The voluntary accreditation process examines how a fire department delivers services, manages resources, evaluates performance, identifies community risks and plans for future needs.

Deputy Fire Chief Jason Hathcock serves as the department’s accreditation manager.

“We have been able to use the Commission on Fire Accreditation International’s process as a proactive mechanism to plan for the future of this agency and identify areas where we can improve the quality of the services we provide,” Hathcock said.

The review also considers community risks, public input, performance data and long-term organizational planning.

The Commission on Fire Accreditation International is a program of the Center for Public Safety Excellence and provides fire and emergency service agencies with a framework for evaluating operations and identifying areas for improvement.