Cary Fire Department Earns International Reaccreditation for Fifth Consecutive Time

• Cary Fire Department earns sixth international accreditation, joining 334 agencies worldwide to successfully complete this comprehensive review.
• The recognition reflects the department's culture of excellence, professionalism, and service.
• The independent accreditation process ensures Cary meets or exceeds national best practices in fire service.

CARY, NC - Following a unanimous vote by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, the Town of Cary has again been granted international reaccreditation. The Commission unanimously approved the Fire Department's application earlier today in Orlando. This is the sixth time the Fire Department has received the accredited agency status, with the first occurring in 1999. The department is one of only 334 fire/rescue agencies in the world to achieve the accredited agency status.

"I couldn't be more proud of the men and women of the Cary Fire Department. Earning accreditation once is an accomplishment. Earning it time and time again says a lot about the culture of this team and the commitment they bring to serving our community every day," said Russ Overton, Interim Cary Town Manager. "Public safety in Cary is a team effort. Our firefighters are on the front lines, but this recognition also reflects the partnership we have across the organization with teams like Public Works, Utilities, Inspections and Permits, Police, and Emergency Communications. A lot of people work together every day to keep this community safe. And this shows it."

As part of the reaccreditation process, this past November a peer review team conducted an on-site visit of the Cary Fire Department, evaluating the agency's self-assessment manual, community risk assessment and standard of cover, and strategic plan. The assessment inspects every aspect of Cary's fire program, including governance and administration, assessment and planning, goals and objectives, financial resources, community risk reduction, physical resources, human resources, training and competency, essential resources, external relationships, and health and safety.

"This is a voluntary accreditation and one of the most comprehensive performance reviews in the fire service," said Fire Chief Mike Cooper. "This recognition confirms that our department continues to meet the highest international standards for emergency service delivery, planning, and accountability. I'm incredibly proud of the work our firefighters and staff put into this process and grateful for the trust and support of the Cary community we are privileged to protect."

The Cary Fire Department is comprised of roughly 245 full-time employees with a fleet of 16 front-line apparatus available to respond as needed. The department was originally created in 1921 and until 1960 functioned on an all-volunteer basis with support from the Town and annual fundraisers. In 2025, the department responded to nearly 15,000 fire and first responder calls.

The mission of CFAI is to assist and improve fire and emergency service agencies around the world in achieving organizational and professional excellence through its strategic self-assessment model and accreditation process to provide continuous quality improvement and enhancement of service delivery to the community and the world at large. The CFAI program is a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation model that enables fire and emergency service organizations to examine past, current and future service levels and performance and compare them to industry best practices.

In addition to its fire department, the Town of Cary's Police and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources departments are also nationally accredited.

To request a station tour or fire truck visit and to learn more, visit carync.gov/fire.

Primary Contacts

If you have specific questions, visit carync.gov/311, dial 311 anywhere in Cary, (919) 469-4000 outside Town limits, or email [email protected].

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