BEVERLY HILLS—On September 3, the city of Beverly Hills announced that the Beverly Hills Fire Department (BHFD) received Re-Accredited Agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) for meeting the criteria established through the CFAI’s voluntary self-assessment and accreditation program.
The BHFD is only one of 334 agencies to achieve Internationally Accredited agency status with the CFAI and the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE). Beverly Hills is only 1 of 127 agencies that holds both a Class-1 ISO rating, and accredited status; and only 1 of 4 agencies within the Los Angeles County to be accredited.
“Our accreditation is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of the dedication of the men and women of the Beverly Hills Fire Department,” said Fire Chief Greg Barton. “The process challenged us to take an honest and comprehensive assessment at how we serve the community, identify opportunities for improvement, and establish a clear roadmap for the future. I am incredibly proud of our personnel and grateful to everyone who contributed to this award.”
Beverly Hills was first accredited in 2021. The accreditation process occurs every five years and is a two-year process. It provides fire and emergency service agencies with a comprehensive framework to evaluate their performance. A Class-1 ISO rating is the highest possible rating awarded by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) and entails rigorous benchmarks that include responding rapidly to emergencies, deploying highly trained personnel, and utilizing advanced, well-maintained equipment to protect lives and property.
The scale runs from Class 1 (best) to Class 10 (lowest), and only a small fraction of fire departments in the United States achieve Class 1 status.
The Beverly Hills Fire Department operates three fire stations in Beverly Hills and responds to more than 8,600 incidents annually. For more information about the BHFD, visit www.beverlyhills.org/firedepartment.
By Danny Jones