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For many years, the fire service has been ranked by standards and measurements of performance. The Insurance Services Organization (ISO), an off-shoot of the insurance industry which began in the 1800s, developed many of these measurements for use by the insurance industry. The system set insurance rates based upon a numerical ranking between 1 and 9 for individual departments. Although the standards are extremely valuable in determining insurance rates, the standards provide little assistance to the real life issue of "how to provide services to the community."

In the past, the "ISO rating" determined which steps needed to be performed in order to get a favorable rating. This meant that the individual department was rated solely on a catastrophic fire related emergency.

In 1988, the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) established CFAI as an independent commission to improve the services fire department's provide to the community it protects. The CFAI assessment recognizes that fire departments are effected by all emergencies (fire, EMS, hazardous materials, etc.) as well as its organization, training, responses, equipment and continued development.

To complete the assessment, Florida Institute of Research & Education [fire-HELP], acts as facilitators, analysts, and catalysts as we elicit information about the nature of specific concerns and the multi-faceted impact on the organization. Our personnel are versed in the process by which the CFAI assesses the capabilities of individual agencies. Florida Institute of Research & Education [fire-HELP] takes a broad approach in the completion of the assessment. Our personnel assist the agency in completing a detailed analysis and integrating the information into a comprehensive report. Further, we assist the agency in filing the necessary information so that they can successfully complete the accreditation process.