Summit Firefighters Celebrate Certification

Last night's special Common Council meeting honored the Summit Fire Department for achieving what only one other New Jersey fire department has achieved:  from the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Bloomfield's fire department is the only other municipal battalion to hold that honor. Now, both Summit's fire and police departments are fully accredited.

The meeting was attended by members of the city's first aid squad and about a dozen firefighters from both Summit and Millburn, the two departments have a partnership agreement to respond to major emergencies in both areas. Local politicians and firefighters' family members filled the room for the hour-long presentation.

Deputy Fire Chief Rick DeGroot who spearheaded the effort walked council members through a PowerPoint presentation that detailed the painstaking work it took to bring the department in line with the safety standards. Meeting the standards required monitoring fire-response times and upgrades to department computer systems. "It took 12 years to get accreditation", said DeGroot, a 30-year veteran of the force, who was presented with a special award by Fire Chief Joseph Houck for his work. The department thanked City Administrator and former fire chief Chris Cotter for his support.

In his remarks to the fire battalion Cotter pointed out that the idea of developing standards for fire departments started in California, a state known for "trendsetting" legislation. "Thank you for being a trendsetter," he told the firefighters. Summit joins 144 fire departments worldwide that also carry the seal of approval, he said.

During his presentation, DeGroot pointed out the support of the council's public safety committee, chaired by Ellen Dickson. Among the challenges DeGroot faced in structuring the 32-member department to meet the strict standards of the CFAI was dealing with leadership transition. Summit firefighters have gone through four fire chiefs in five years.

"What this accreditation shows is that Summit is delivering the best in fire safety," said Mayor Jordan Glatt in remarks last night. Glatt has worked with three fire chiefs during his tenure. "As a mayor and as a Summit resident, I'm proud to know that you have achieved this," he said.

Reaching accreditation meant gaining a favorable review during peer assessments when fire chiefs from California, Colorado and Indiana came to Summit. "I feel like we've found the Holy Grail," said public safety chair and mayoral candidate .

Mayoral candidate and Ward 2 Councilman  called the accreditation "a blueprint to make this a special community."

Finance Chairman , a former Marine said he saw the same teamwork among Summit's firefighters that he saw in the Marine Corps.

According to Ward I Councilman , one of the benefits accreditation gives to the Summit community, beyond streamlined fire safety procedures is keep home insurance in check. "Thanks for helping us keep our home insurance premiums under control," he said.

Getzendanner explained that the city's Insurance Services Office rating , or ISO, remains around 3, due to the preparedness of the fire department. "It helps everybody who buys insurance," he said.