According to the Kissimmee Fire Department, a very small handful of fire and rescue agencies — roughly 1 percent — receive Commission on Fire Accreditation International accreditation.
KFD wants to be one of those. And, since the process involves a self-assessment of its strengths and weaknesses, then shoring up those weaknesses, the agency is asking for the public’s help in finding those weak spots.
KFD held a public workshop last week at City Hall, attended by a number of members of the public it serves and representatives of agencies that assist that mission.
The city asked the group assembled to fill out a survey; the questions asked about the priority of services, what factors represent “good service” and to prioritize KFD’s public education programs.
“The public is one-third of the strategic plan,” KFD Chief Jim Walls said. “We need know what they expect. Feedback is feedback, we want it all, because we know we’re not perfect.”
Those who didn’t participate in the meeting can still provide feedback. The feedback form from the public meeting can be found here: https://forms.gle/ sudmCp7N2s8AM3129. (You can also scan the QR code at the top of this article to get to the form.)
The process has already started, and should be complete by mid-2023.
“The hard part is, in five years — when you apply for re-accreditation — they have five years of data on your agency, and hold you accountable for any deficiencies you still have after that time,” Walls said. “At accreditation, if they see any deficiencies, they want you to have a plan to address them.”
Walls said the process creates a set of data — hard numbers that provide instant feedback at operations.
“It makes us take a hard look at all parts of the fire service. We get all the data, data I can take to the city manager,” the chief said. “That data can help with how money and resources are used through the city for better service across the board — and the city.
Through the process, Walls, and City Manager Mike Steigerwald, noted that KFD has some real strengths, such as a high retention rate for rescue employees over the last eight years.
“Before that, we were losing a lot of people to the (Orlando International) airport,” Walls said.
“That’s a credit to the Chief,” Steigerwald said. “The culture and morale has been great under Jim. We’ve improved our pay structure too, but sometimes pay isn’t everything.”
