Florida Division of State Fire Marshal Bureau of Fire Prevention First to Earn IAS Fire Prevention Department Accreditation

The Florida Division of State Fire Marshal Bureau of Fire Prevention is the first department in the nation to achieve Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation from the International Accreditation Service (IAS).

IAS accreditation verifies that the department is operating at the highest legal, ethical and technical standards. Accreditation by IAS provides formal recognition that the department has demonstrated the competence to administer an effective system of code enforcement, fire prevention, life safety programs and other functions of fire marshals’ offices that benefit the communities they serve. A subsidiary of the International Code Council (ICC), IAS is one of the leading accreditation bodies in the United States.

“We are honored to receive this prestigious accreditation which represents the hard work and commitment by our staff in the Bureau of Fire Prevention. We are extremely proud of our fire prevention personnel who deliver these fire protection and life safety services to the citizens of Florida,” said Division of State Fire Marshal Director Julius Halas.

“As the first to achieve this IAS accreditation, the Florida Division of State Fire Marshal Bureau of Fire Prevention demonstrated through a formal, independent verification process that it uses best practices and meets recognized standards,” said IAS President Chuck Ramani.

IAS and the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) collaborated to create the accreditation program for fire prevention and life safety departments. IAS accreditation conveys formal recognition to departments that demonstrate technical competence to administer an effective system of code enforcement, fire prevention, life safety programs and other functions of fire marshals’ offices.

The accreditation is based on the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Fire Prevention Departments/Code Enforcement Agencies (AC426). The accreditation process included a review of the bureau’s policies and procedures, and an onsite review by an IAS assessment team. The IAS team evaluated the division against the performance requirements in 10 primary categories including governance and administration, risk assessment, goals and objectives, finance, program activity, physical resources, human resources, training and competency, essential resources and external systems relations.

IAS is a recognized accreditation body and a nonprofit, public benefit corporation. IAS accredits training agencies, curriculum developers, testing and calibration laboratories, product certification agencies, special inspection agencies, inspection programs for metal building manufacturers, fabricator inspection programs, inspection agencies, field evaluation bodies, building departments, fire prevention departments and building department service providers.

For more information, email info@iasonline.org, call 866-427-4422 ext. 5275, or visit the IAS website at www.iasonline.org/fire.