FAQs

Accreditation is a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation model that allows organizations to examine past, current, and future service levels and internal performance and compare them to industry best practices. This process leads to improved service delivery.

 The Centre for Public Safety Excellence’s Accreditation Program is administered by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), and allows fire and emergency service agencies to compare their performance to industry best practices to determine community risk and safety needs and develop community-specific Standards of Cover. 

The Standards of Cover are written policies and procedures that establish the geographical location of fixed response points such as fire stations. The fire stations have Firefighters and equipment responsible to provide an initial response within a prescribed response time benchmark (goal). Standards of cover also includes the spacing of fixed and mobile resources of Kingston Fire & Rescue and the overall performance benchmarks required to respond to a range of risks.

It is important to be transparent about the core services to be delivered to the community and the required measurements to evaluate both the qualitative and quantitative value of services provided. This understanding assists in assessing the desired performance outcomes in relation to both community and legislative requirements for Kingston Fire & Rescue.  

Yes, the 2010 Master Fire Plan is a foundational historical document that effectively addressed issues post-amalgamation. However, the Fire Master Plan does not provide for an effective or continuous appraisal of the main elements.

Accreditation is about KFR’s commitment to excellence through continuous improvement of its services in relation to both community and legislative requirements.