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<img src="https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/firelogo.png" alt="Columbia Fire Department" width="115" height="116" style="float: right; margin-right: 0px; margin-left:20px;">
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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;"> 201 Orr Street
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Columbia, MO 65201</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">March 5, 2024</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Jeffrey Heidenreich
<br />Assistant Fire Chief
<br />Columbia Fire Department
<br />City of Columbia
<br />573.874.7513
<br />Jeffrey.Heidenreich@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">Columbia Fire Department maintains Accredited Agency status from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - The Columbia Fire Department (CFD) has achieved reaccreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), marking a significant milestone in the department's ongoing pursuit of excellence and dedication to serving the community. CFD maintains its status among an elite group of only 312 fire departments worldwide that received this recognition.<br /><br />The reaccreditation process evaluated CFD against rigorous standards of performance, professionalism and continuous improvement. This comprehensive assessment covered all aspects of the department's operations, including emergency response, training, equipment maintenance, community outreach, governance, administration and leadership practices. This is the second time CFD has undergone the accreditation process.<br /><br />The CFAI is dedicated to assisting fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving
excellence through self-assessment and accreditation to provide continuous quality improvement and the enhancement of service delivery to their communities. The CFAI process provides an agency with an improvement model to assess their service delivery and performance internally and then works with a team of peers from other agencies to verify and validate their completed self-assessment. This involved analyzing specific risks in Columbia to gain a deeper understanding of the evolving expectations citizens hold for CFD and its responsibilities in meeting those expectations. <br /><br />"This independent third-party validation is critical for our future success and allows us to embrace continuous improvement for the benefit of the community we serve," Fire Chief Clayton Farr Jr. said. <br /><br />Receiving reaccreditation from the CFAI reaffirmed the department's position as a leader in the fire service and demonstrated its commitment to meeting and exceeding the community's ne
eds. The process not only validated the department's existing practices but also provided a roadmap for continuous improvement and innovation in the future. <br /><br />The CFD Accreditation Team consisted of members for each rank and division in the department who went above and beyond their normal duties to accomplish this milestone. Assistant Chief Jeffrey Heidenreich served as the department's Accreditation Manager throughout the process and collaborated with the fire chief, Deputy Chief John Ambra and City Manager De'Carlon Seedwood to set goals and achieve success. <br /><br />"I would also like to thank our most valuable resource; our members," Farr said. "We had participation from every division within the department and from each rank of personnel to culminate in this recognition. Our staff provide amazing service to our community day in and day out."</div>
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<div class="content"><strong>Location:</strong> <a style="white-space:nowrap" href="https://gocolumbiamo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=62b0c3219184457b88d19cf44ce1f4a3&find=201 Orr St" target="_blank">201 Orr St</a></div>
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<div class="attachments">This release has the following attachments:<br /><br /><a style="white-space:nowrap" href="https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/downloadfile.php?id=3087">CFD - Reaccreditation</a></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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