Center for Public Safety Excellence

09/03/2026

The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) is pleased to announce scholarship opportunities for fire and emergency service professionals pursuing the Fire Officer (FO) or Fire and Emergency Services Analyst (FESA) designation.

The FO and FESA designations recognize a commitment to professional development, leadership, and continuous improvement. The Worthington Scholarship supports eligible professionals pursuing the FO designation, while the FESA Scholarship supports those working toward the FESA designation.

Applications for both CPC scholarships are open now and will be accepted through October 30.

Learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply: https://www.cpse.org/credentialing/credentialing/commission-on-professional-credentialing-scholarship-opportunities

09/02/2026

Congratulations to Captain Dave Coker, FO, on his reappointment to a second term on the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), where he will continue serving as the Labor President of a CFAI Accredited Agency with a Population of more than 100,000 representatives.

09/01/2026

CPSE welcomes Melody Pearson as the University Coordinator. In this role, she will coordinate logistics for CPSE educational events and services.

Melody brings extensive CFAI accreditation experience, having served as Accreditation Manager for the Salina Fire Department in Kansas since 2010. She has also served as a volunteer CFAI peer assessor.

Please join us in welcoming Melody to the CPSE team.

08/31/2026

Congratulations to Kevin P. Lowther, FM, on his selection as Assistant County Manager for Sampson County, North Carolina!

Lowther earned his Fire Marshal (FM) designation from CPSE's Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC) earlier this year. We congratulate him on this new leadership role and wish him continued success serving the Sampson County community.

Sampson County Government has selected Kevin P. Lowther to serve as the Assistant County Manager, bringing more than 23 years of public service experience and a diverse background in local government, development services, emergency management, and organizational improvement.

08/25/2026

CPSE would like to thank Battalion Chief JC Mitchell, City of Carmel Fire Department, Carmel, IN, for his three years of service as a CFAI Commissioner representing a Labor President of a CFAI accredited agency with a population of less than 100,000 representatives.

08/24/2026

Congratulations to Andrew Grove, CFO, on his appointment as Fire Chief of the Leawood Fire Department in Kansas!

We wish Chief Grove continued success as he takes on this new leadership role with a CFAI-accredited department. Congratulations, Chief!

The City of Leawood picked its new fire chief from a neighboring department following a nationwide search.

08/21/2026

The 2026 CFAI Summer Hearings have officially concluded, with 13 agencies successfully achieving accreditation or reaccreditation on Day 3.

Congratulations to the following agencies for their commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in the fire and emergency service:

• Fox Crossing Fire Department, WI — 6th Accreditation
• Spartanburg Fire Department, SC — 5th Accreditation
• Temple Terrace Fire Department, FL — 5th Accreditation
• Davenport Fire Department, IA — 4th Accreditation
• Morrisville Fire/Rescue Department, NC — 4th Accreditation
• Rockford Fire Department, IL — 4th Accreditation
• Grand Rapids Fire Department, MI — 3rd Accreditation
• High Point Fire Department, NC — 3rd Accreditation
• Savannah Fire Department, GA — 3rd Accreditation
• Hutchinson Fire Department, KS — 2nd Accreditation
• Mandeville Fire/EMS, LA — 2nd Accreditation
• Apex Fire Department, NC — 1st Accreditation
• Chesterfield Township Fire Department, MI — 1st Accreditation

Congratulations to all of the agencies recognized throughout this week’s CFAI Summer Hearings and to the teams whose hard work made these achievements possible!

Learn more about the CFAI hearings: https://www.cpse.org/accreditation/accreditation-how-to/cfai-hearings

08/20/2026

Day 2 of the CFAI Summer Hearings brought another 15 successful accreditation and reaccreditation decisions.

Congratulations to the following agencies for their commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in the fire and emergency service:

• Winter Park Fire-Rescue Department, FL — 6th Accreditation
• JBLE-Langley Fire & Emergency Services, VA — 5th Accreditation
• Defense Logistics Agency Fire and Emergency Services - New Cumberland, PA — 4th Accreditation
• Fayetteville Fire Department, NC — 4th Accreditation
• Spokane Valley Fire Department, WA — 4th Accreditation
• Dover Air Force Base Fire & Emergency Services, DE — 3rd Accreditation
• Pinehurst Fire Department, NC — 3rd Accreditation
• Travis Fire & Emergency Services, CA — 3rd Accreditation
• Beverly Hills Fire Department, CA — 2nd Accreditation
• Fort Benning Fire & Emergency Services, GA — 2nd Accreditation
• New Bern Fire-Rescue, NC — 2nd Accreditation
• Beavercreek Township Fire Department, OH — 1st Accreditation
• Chesterfield Fire and EMS, VA — 1st Accreditation
• Marion Fire Department, IA — 1st Accreditation
• Naval Air Facility Atsugi Fire & Emergency Services, Kanagawa, Japan — 1st Accreditation

Congratulations to all of the Day 2 agencies! The CFAI Summer Hearings continue today with one final day of hearings.

Learn more about the CFAI hearings: https://www.cpse.org/accreditation/accreditation-how-to/cfai-hearings

08/19/2026

Congratulations to all 15 agencies that successfully achieved accreditation or reaccreditation during Day 1 of the CFAI Summer Hearings.

We are pleased to recognize these agencies for their commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in the fire and emergency service:

• Geneva Fire Department, IL — 6th Accreditation
• Houston Fire Department, TX — 6th Accreditation
• Kingsport Fire Department, TN — 6th Accreditation
• Mount Pleasant Fire Department, SC — 6th Accreditation
• Virginia Beach Fire Department, VA — 6th Accreditation
• Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue, FL — 5th Accreditation
• South Metro Fire Rescue, CO — 5th Accreditation
• West Des Moines Fire Department, IA — 5th Accreditation
• Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue, VA — 3rd Accreditation
• City of Pewaukee Fire Department, WI — 3rd Accreditation
• Addison Fire Protection District #1, IL — 2nd Accreditation
• Dubuque Fire Department, IA — 2nd Accreditation
• Garner Fire-Rescue, NC — 2nd Accreditation
• Hoover Fire Department, AL — 2nd Accreditation
• Okotoks Fire & Rescue, Alberta — 1st Accreditation

Whether celebrating a first accreditation or a sixth, each achievement represents significant work, reflection, and dedication to serving their communities. Congratulations again!

The CFAI Summer Hearings continue through August 20, and we look forward to recognizing more agencies in the days ahead.

Learn more about the CFAI hearings: https://www.cpse.org/accreditation/accreditation-how-to/cfai-hearings

08/18/2026

Have an idea, case study, or proven practice that could help shape the future of the fire and emergency service?

Only two weeks remain to submit your presentation proposal for the 2027 CPSE Excellence Conference. Presentation proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on August 31.

We're looking for dynamic innovators, practitioners, and subject matter experts ready to share practical solutions, lessons learned, and experiences with their peers.

This year’s Excellence Conference will be held March 16-18, 2027, at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, as we explore this year's theme, Answering the Call: Shaping the Next Era for the Fire Service.

View the proposal guidelines:https://go.cpse.org/l/1054523/2026-07-01/2yw62b/1054523/17829129981gKJSHCu/2027_Call_for_Presentations_Information.pdf

Submit your proposal: https://www.cvent.com/c/abstracts/9a74ebd0-2a92-41e1-a141-9cac0162cece