Murrieta Fire & Rescue (MFR) proudly announces its renewed accredited agency status from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). This recognition is a result of MFR's commitment to excellence demonstrated through the voluntary self-assessment and accreditation program established by CFAI. Including MFR, there are only 22 accredited agencies in all of California and only 308 worldwide recognized by CFAI and the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE).
Chief Bernie Molloy of Murrieta Fire emphasized the organization's dedication to upholding the highest standards. "At MFR, we continually strive for excellence, and aligning ourselves with the standards that define the world's top fire departments is a core principle. The accreditation process, centered around continuous improvement across our services, is ingrained in our organizational culture. We are thrilled to receive this recognition once again, solidifying our position as a leading fire agency,” shared Chief Molloy.
Murrieta City Manager Kim Summers echoed Chief Molloy’s sentiments, highlighting, “The City of Murrieta is an organization that holds ourselves to the highest possible standards, so measuring ourselves against the standards that dictate the best fire departments in the world is something we have taken to heart. The model of continuous improvement in the entire spectrum of services we deliver to our community, which is a cornerstone of the accreditation process, is built into the culture of our organization, and we are ecstatic to be recognized again as a premier fire agency by CPSE,” shared Summers.
In 2018, Murrieta Fire & Rescue became the first fully accredited fire agency in Riverside County. In 2019, the City of Riverside Fire Department joined this distinguished list. Only 13% of the U.S. population is served by an accredited fire agency.
The reaccreditation process was led by Murrieta Fire Captain Eric Ackerman, MFR's dedicated personnel left no stone unturned in pursuing this recognition. Every facet of the agency's plans, deployment, and performance was evaluated. This comprehensive evaluation process led to updates in the MFR five-year Strategic Plan and the Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Cover. An agency-wide self-assessment was meticulously prepared and submitted alongside essential documents for review by expert fire service peers nationwide. These peers, possessing significant expertise, conducted an in-depth site visit in Murrieta in April 2023 to validate the findings in the report.
The collective efforts of the peer assessors resulted in a unanimous recommendation for MFR's continued accreditation during the April site visit. The MFR accreditation team traveled to Chicago to appear before the Commission for Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), which granted MFR an additional five years of accredited status, underscoring the agency's unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional fire and rescue services to the community.
More information regarding the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. and the Commission of Fire Accreditation International, Inc. can be found at www.cpse.org.