Beachwod Fire Department Up for Selective National Accreditation

The is one of 33 departments across the country up for accreditation by the Center for Public Safety Excellence this year.

The nod from country’s premiere fire department accreditation agency would be the department’s second in a row and would make it one of less than 150 in the country to hold the honor.

There are 36,000 fire departments in the United States.

The Beachwood Fire Department first earned the recognition in 2007. The accreditation lasts five years, and the department is reapplying.

Mayor Merle Gorden, Fire Chief Patrick Kearns and Beachwood Fire Accreditation Manager Lt. Anthony Strazzo will travel to Denver next week for a panel interview and the awards ceremony, where they will learn if the department has been chosen for accreditation.

Six other departments in Ohio carry the accreditation, and Beachwood is the only one in Northeast Ohio. Shaker Heights Fire Department was awarded the accreditation in 2006 but did not reapply in 2011 after job cuts drove down staffing.

“It verifies and validates that their fire department and their municipality are performing to what are nationally-recognized standards,” said Strazzo. “It really validates the performance and the high level of service that the city of Beachwood provides for its residents.”