Benefits of Fire Department Accreditation 
So why would a fire department want to evaluate its fire service program? According to the CFAI, there are some major reasons to earn accreditation:

• Provides greater community alignment.
• Encourages quality improvement.
• Facilitates input from and builds positive relationships with labor.
• Identifies areas of strength and weakness.
• Allows for the establishment of an improvement plan.
• Provides for greater data-driven decision-making.
• Communicates management and leadership philosophies.
• Ensures your agency has a defined mission and related objectives.
• Encourages the development of organizational procedural documents.

These benefits range from abstract concepts to practical, day-to-day improvements. However, improvement will not occur unless the organization applies the findings from the self-assessment to local planning and implementation activities. The willingness to allow for improvement and accept change is another challenge the department must accept.

Self-assessment focuses on whether the organization is meeting goals that are commensurate with its responsibility. In today's world of government, where the focus is on reinventing, re-engineering, rethinking, and quality management, a department must continue to ask itself if there is value added by the actions it is taking within the organization. This process assists the fire service by asking questions to determine if the fire department is effective in meeting the needs of its community. "The true benefit, however, is in learning what you do not know about your organization," CPSE.