Four Oak Ridge fire officers receive national accreditation

The Center for Public Safety Excellence has notified four officers of the Oak Ridge Fire Department that they have received national accreditation, a press release said.

ORFD Fire Chief Darryl Kerley and Assistant Fire Chief Josh Waldo have been notified that they have been approved for the designation of chief fire officer, the release said. Battalion chiefs Marty Griffith and Joseph Durham have been approved for the designation of fire officer.

The release said the Center for Public Safety Excellence Inc. is nonprofit organization that, for more than a decade, has helped local public safety agencies around the world streamline and improve the services they provide their communities. Through its individual commissions, CPSE provides a host of programs, including accreditation for fire and emergency service agencies and professional designations for senior-level fire and emergency service officers.

The press release said Kerley has held the designation of chief fire officer, or CFO, since 2004 and was notified that his designation has been renewed. Kerley is required to renew his CFO designation every three years and submits a package outlining his career progress for the past three years to ensure he is continuing to work toward professional excellence through continued education, training, and community service.

Waldo has received his initial designation, having completed his master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University and showing a continual forward progress when it comes to professional development, the press release said. Waldo is also currently enrolled in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.

The Chief Fire Officer Designation Program was created to recognize fire officers who have demonstrated excellence and outstanding achievement throughout their career. The designation demonstrates that individuals have developed a strategy for continued career improvement and development. The highly competitive CFO designation assures departments that their leaders have the educational and technical competencies necessary to meet the demands of today’s society, the press release said. Since its inception in November 2001, the CFO designation has only been bestowed on 851 fire professionals across the country, with only 13 of those being from Tennessee.

Kerley has served in the role of chief officer in some capacity during the past 15 years, and he has been with the Oak Ridge Fire Department since 2006. He is married to his wife Jamie and has two daughters, Ashley and Hannah.

Waldo has served in the role of chief officer in some capacity during the past six years, and he has been with the Oak Ridge Fire Department since 2007. He is married to his wife Cindy and has a son, Wyatt.

The new Fire Officer, or FO, Designation Program for line officers and others who aspire to become chief fire officers was unveiled in August 2009 by the Commission on Professional Credentialing, the press release said.

“Although the process for obtaining the FO designation closely mirrors the CFO process, the FO designation is an incremental step toward the CFO with different standards of expertise, responsibility, and accountability,” the release said. “Since its inception in 2009, only 125 fire professionals across the country have received this designation and Battalion Chiefs Griffith and Durham become the second and third professionals to achieve this certification in the State of Tennessee.”

Griffith has been with the Oak Ridge Fire Department since 2002 and currently oversees the daily operations of C-shift. Griffith is also a registered nurse, and he has an sssociate’s degree from Lincoln Memorial University. Griffith is married to his wife Tracy, and they have two daughters, Sydney and Sierra.

Durham has been with the Oak Ridge Fire Department since 1996, and he currently oversees the daily operations of A-shift and holds an associate’s degree from Roane State Community College. Durham is married to his wife Michele and has three children, Jordan, Justin, and Caden.

Kerley, Waldo, Durham, and Griffith will travel to Chicago in August to attend the International Association of Fire Chiefs – Fire Rescue Conference, where they will be recognized for their accreditation at the CPSE annual accreditation banquet.