Oak Ridge fire officers receive national accreditation

The Center for Public Safety Excellence recognized four officers of the Oak Ridge Fire Department for their national accreditation at the Fire Rescue International Conference-CPSE annual Accreditation banquet in Chicago this month.

Fire Chief Darryl Kerley and Assistant Fire Chief Josh Waldo have been approved for the designation of chief fire officer. Kerley has held the designation of chief fire officer, or CFO, since 2004 and was notified that his designation has been renewed. He is required to renew his CFO designation every three years and submit 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. Waldo also received accreditation as a fire marshal and chief training officer.

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 designation assures departments that their leaders have the educational and technical competencies necessary to meet the demands of today’s society. 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 has been with the Oak Ridge Fire Department since 2006. He is married to wife Jamie and has two daughters, Ashley and Hannah.

The Center for Public Safety Excellence Inc., CPSE, is a 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.