Milton Fire-Rescue on Tuesday became among the select few recognized as a Commission on Fire Accreditation International accredited agency – a milestone attributable to the Department’s high standards, in-depth analysis, meticulous self-reflection, and plans for continuous improvement.

The announcement that Milton earned this prestigious distinction came Tuesday afternoon at a public hearing in Orlando, Florida, organized by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFIA), which is part of the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison, City Manager Steve Krokoff, Fire Chief Gabe Benmoussa, Deputy Fire Chief Matt Marietta, and Battalion Chief Tim Murray attended the proceeding.

“This achievement recognizes Milton Fire’s diligent work, fact-driven policies, smart strategies, and – above all – commitment to finding more, better ways to serve our residents,” said Mayor Jamison. “Our Council and our community are very proud of Chief Benmoussa and his team.”

Before this week, only 312 agencies worldwide had earned this distinguished accreditation; about 13% of the American population is protected by accredited agencies. Milton is the first North Fulton County fire department to be accredited in this manner, and it is only the sixth municipal agency in Georgia after Atlanta, Columbus, Covington, LaGrange, and Savannah. Neighboring Cherokee County is accredited as well.

Candidate fire departments must have an extensive self-assessment model to earn accreditation. They also need a Community Risk Assessment Standards of Cover as well as a Strategic Plan. Those and other guiding documents for the Milton Fire-Rescue Department can be found HERE: https://www.miltonga.gov/government/guiding-documents.

Milton Fire-Rescue shared these documents, as well as relevant statistics and other details, as part of the accreditation process. The team also hosted four CFIA peer accreditors who spent parts of four days last fall touring Milton’s four stations as well as meeting with firefighters and Department leaders. During that visit, accreditors learned about Milton firefighters’ extensive training program – which has expanded about 200% in recent years – as well as the equipment, programs, and other innovations that they utilize.

This quartet of peer accreditors, which included firefighting professionals from North Carolina and North Dakota, also reviewed Milton Fire-Rescue’s policies, analyzed relevant data, and conducted an extensive audit of its self-assessment process. After that visit, they recommended that Milton be accredited.

Still, nothing was official until Tuesday’s hearing in Orlando in front of the CFIA Commissioners, who made the final determination.

“This accreditation reflects our deliberate, important efforts to ensure we know what’s working well, we understand and embrace challenges facing us, and we have solid plans moving forward that will make a positive impact,” said Chief Benmoussa. “Milton’s citizens deserve the best, and this accreditation officially puts us among the best.”