Spotlight: ORFD officers receive national accreditation

The Center for Public Safety Excellence has notified three members of the Oak Ridge Fire Department that they have received national accreditation.

The Center for Public Safety Excellence Inc. 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, a press release said. 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.

Capt. Charlie Elliott, Capt. Brandon Payne, and Firefighter Engineer Jordan Alcorn have received notification from the Center for Public Safety Excellence that they have been approved for the designation of fire officer, or FO.

In August 2009, the Commission on Professional Credentialing unveiled the new Fire Officer Designation Program for line officers and others who aspire to become chief fire officers, CFO. The process for obtaining the FO designation closely mirrors the CFO process, the press release said. The FO designation is an incremental step toward the CFO with different standards of expertise, responsibility, and accountability. Since its inception in 2009, only 165 fire professionals across the country have received this designation and Elliott, Payne, and Alcorn become only the fourth, fifth, and sixth professionals to achieve this certification in Tennessee.

Capt. Elliott has been with the Oak Ridge Fire Department since 1998 and currently oversees the daily operations of Station 3 on A-Shfit. Elliott is a national registered critical care paramedic and also works for Air Evac aeromedical services. Elliott is currently enrolled in the fire science program at Walter State Community College and was selected as the 2013 Fire Science Honors Student of the Year. Elliott is married to his wife Mandy and has two boys, Dylan and Michael, and two girls, Olivia and Laney.

Capt. Payne, a second-generation member of the department, has been with the Oak Ridge Fire Department since 2007 and currently oversees the daily operations of Station 1 on A-Shift. Payne holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and is one of the premier fire instructors in the region. Payne is married to his wife Gretchen and has a son, Jackson.

Firefighter Engineer Alcorn has been with the Oak Ridge Fire Department since 2007 and currently serves as an acting officer on A-Shift. Alcorn is also a captain with the Oliver Springs Fire Department and has served with the OSFD since 1999 , is a national registered paramedic, and is very involved in fire service instruction throughout the region.

These latest additions give the Oak Ridge Fire Department a total of seven national accredited fire officers, the press release said. Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said: “professional development of our members is critical to our future success and growth. I am very proud and excited to hear about three more of our members achieving this certification as I feel it shows our continued commitment to professionalism and excellence as an organization.”

For more information, contact Assistant Chief Josh Waldo at (865) 425-3525.