CPA fire department gets Pro-Board accreditation

The Commonwealth Ports Authority has been fully accredited to certify firefighting personnel in accordance with the criteria established by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualification, also known as the Pro-Board.

Effective July 22, 2005, CPA now has the full authority under the Pro-Board accreditation program to certify the following level of fire fighters: fire fighter 1 and 2, airport firefighter, driver/operator of aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles, fire officer 1 and 2, fire instructor 1 and 2, and fire inspector 1 and 2.

Prior to receiving full accreditation, CPA’s Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Department was given permission by the Pro-Board a temporary delegation of authority to certify fire personnel.

This temporary delegation of authority allowed all participants attending ARFF training at CPA’s newly opened Pacific Region ARFF Training Center to receive Pro-Board certification, thus meeting or exceeding U.S. national firefighting training level standards for all fire personnel.

This delegation also authorized CPA to extend the Pro-Board’s certification to other fire fighters within the Pacific region who pass the training on Saipan without having to travel to the mainland United States at a greater expense to receive Pro-Board certification.

To obtain full accreditation, CPA submitted an application including a detailed self-study document.

The application process also involved the review of CPA’s ARFF program by member of Pro-Board’s Committee on Accreditation. Some committee members also visited Saipan and looked into CPA’s ARFF program to perform extensive on-site review of CPA’s testing methods and certification process.

The committee members subsequently prepared a report and presented to the full accreditation panel and issued its decision to grant CPA the accreditation.

V. Ken Elmore, accreditation manager of the Pro-Board Committee on Accreditation, informed CPA fire chief Stanley C. Torres of the agency’s decision in a July 28, 2005 letter.

“The hard work and keen focus by our Fire Chief Stanley Torres and his fire fighters have led CPA into such a prestigious standing within the fire service industry in the nation. This milestone achieved by our dedicated fire fighters has certainly elevated the presence of the CNMI and our commitment toward saving lives and property within the aviation industry,” CPA executive director Carlos H. Salas said in statement.

“We are proud of our achievement and leadership in the field of aircraft rescue and fire fighting field. We thank the Pro-Board for its confidence in our program and we extend our congratulations to Fire Chief Stanley Torres and his fire fighters for a job well done,” he added.