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Moorhead council authorizes pursuit of fire department accreditation after staff presentation
Summary
The council approved a resolution to pursue accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence after staff described the 18‑month process, community risk assessment and a self-study with 250 performance measures.
The Moorhead City Council voted Feb. 10 to authorize the Moorhead Fire Department to pursue accreditation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
"The accreditation process ... started actually back in 1986," said Chief Wallen, describing the model’s development and the national bodies that now participate in the process. He said the accreditation is based on three documents the department will prepare: a strategic plan, a community risk assessment and a department self-assessment.
Chief Wallen told the council the self-assessment covers 11 subject areas and about 250 performance measures. He said the formal accreditation timeline runs roughly 18 months, includes training for staff to serve as accreditation managers, and culminates in a peer review team that would spend three days in Moorhead to evaluate documents and department operations.
Why it matters: accreditation provides an industry-recognized framework for continuous improvement, community engagement and benchmarking against regional standards, staff said. Chief Wallen said the process requires annual progress reports and a five-year re-evaluation to maintain accreditation.
Council discussion focused on transparency and ongoing reporting. Council Member Deb White supported the effort and asked how the council would see the self-study findings; Chief Wallen and City Manager Molly said the self-assessment and progress updates would be shared in council workshops and other reporting vehicles.
The resolution authorizing the agreement with the Center for Public Safety Excellence passed on a voice vote. Council Member Deb White made the motion; Council Member Heather Niesmeyer seconded. The meeting record shows the ayes exceeded the nays and the mayor announced that the resolution passed.
Ending: Staff said they will return with updates during council workshops and proposed public-facing progress tools such as dashboards or written summaries.
