On August 26, 2009, the Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) was unanimously awarded Accredited Agency Status by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International at the Center for Public Safety Excellence Commission hearings in Dallas, Texas.
The goal of the CFAI is to assist fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving excellence through self-assessment, accreditation, and continuous quality improvement in order to enhance service delivery to their communities.
Accreditation status is for a five year period. As part of the accreditation process, a report was given to the department listing strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations for continuous improvement. The department is now tasked with prioritizing the task list and reporting on progress and/or obstacles to achievement. Annual compliance reports are required, and the accreditation process begins again in five years.