Accreditation
The Washington Township Fire Department has received Accredited Agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) and is ISO-PPC 1 Classified.
ISO Class 1
The Washington Township Fire Department is proud to be ISO – PPC 1 Classified. The Insurance Services Office Public Protection Classification (ISO – PPC) Program plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. The ISO sets fire department standards that provide benchmarks for operational effectiveness and provides a Public Protection Classification rating for more than 45,000 fire districts nationwide. Less than 1% of the fire departments nationwide are rated as Class 1. The ratings range from the highest rating of 1 through 10.
The WTFD completed the rating process of questionnaires, data collection, document preparation, a site visit, and final reporting and was awarded the coveted PPC 1 rating on December 18, 2017 with an effective date of April 01, 2018. The WTFD was reassessed in 2022 and continued their ISO-1 classification. This is the highest rating possible for any fire department and places the Washington Township Fire Department as 1 of only 117 fire departments in the United States and 1 of only 4 fire departments in the state of Ohio to achieve this recognition.
International Accreditation
Accreditation is a comprehensive self-assessment and quality improvement model that enables organizations to examine past, current, and future service levels and internal performance standards and compare them to the industry’s current best practices. This process leads to a more efficient and effective emergency service organization.
The Center for Public Service Excellence (CPSE)’s Accreditation Program, administered by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) allows fire and emergency service agencies to assess the following:
- Determine community risk and safety needs and develop community-specific Standards of Cover.
- Evaluate the performance of the department.
- Establish a method for achieving continuous organizational improvement.
In early 2022, The CFAI evaluated all aspects of the department’s service delivery, strategic planning, and commitment to ongoing improvement. The department successfully earned accreditation for a third consecutive cycle by meeting established benchmarks and guidelines. Annually members of the Washington Township Fire Department attend the CFAI Excellence Conference and submit annual compliance reports to maintain accreditation until the next site visit in 2027.
Additionally, the fact that the Washington Township Fire Department is Accredited by the Center for Fire Accreditation International and holds the PPC of a 1 rating makes the Washington Township Fire Department 1 of only 114 departments in the United States, and 1 of only 4 departments in Ohio (City of Toledo, City of Columbus, and Loveland-Symmes are the other departments), to achieve both of these distinguished designations.
Strategic Goals
Washington Township and the Washington Township Fire Department have created strategic goals for the 2022-2026 accreditation cycle. These goals focus on communicating and informing the community and local leadership around a common vision for the future of both entities. These strategic goals are designed to be used as a tool to guide and inform the community and local leaders in making collective decisions that work toward a common future over the next three to five years and to develop public confidence in the Township.
CRA-SOC
The Community Risk Assessment-Standard of Cover (CRA-SOC) document is designed as an evaluation tool and internal reference used in conjunction with the CFAI Accreditation process in self-assessment. The Washington Township Fire Department has been an accredited agency since 2007 and looks to continuously improve upon providing exemplary service to its constituents. The CRA-SOC assists in setting goals, accurately assessing measurable advancements, and in guiding decision making going forward for the organization.
Annual Report
View the 2021 Washington Township Annual Report PDF below.