Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) is proud to be awarded Accredited Agency status by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI).
This achievement places HRFE among a select group of fire departments around the world recognized for meeting the highest standards in emergency service delivery, planning and public safety.
What is CFAI accreditation?
CFAI accreditation is considered the gold standard in the fire service. It is a voluntary, rigorous process that evaluates a department’s operations, programs and plans across more than 250 performance indicators. To become accredited, HRFE completed:
- A detailed internal self-assessment
- A Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Cover (CRA-SoC)
- A multi-year strategic plan
- An independent peer review by a team of fire service professionals
- A public hearing before the CFAI Commission
The process is designed to improve transparency, accountability, and alignment between emergency services and community needs. Learn more about this accreditation here.
Why it matters
Being accredited means HRFE is operating at a high level across all areas—from emergency response to planning, training, policy and partnerships. It shows that HRFE is:
- Accountable: Decisions are informed by real data, not just tradition or guesswork.
- Transparent: Our plans, risks and service goals are clearly defined and publicly available.
- Focused on quality: Continuous improvement is built into our culture.
- Community-focused: Services are aligned with the Halifax region’s growth and evolving risks.
The designation is valid for five years. HRFE will continue to submit annual updates and undergo a full reaccreditation process to maintain its status.
A team effort
As with everything HRFE does, achieving accreditation is a team effort. Every division, firefighter, inspector, educator, analyst and support staff played a role. The work was guided by:
- HRFE’s 2024–2029 Strategic Plan
- Community Risk Assessment – Standards of Cover (CRA-SoC)
- Ongoing collaboration with partners, community members and other municipal departments