A new plaque will soon be displayed on the wall at Castle Rock’s fire headquarters, as the department Wednesday was honored with national accreditation.

But to the 70 men and women who work for the Castle Rock Fire Department, it’s more than a one-time honor. The plaque represents their ongoing commitment to improving their services for our community.

Accreditation, earned through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, is a lengthy process that includes community input, a detailed evaluation of current practices, and a commitment to continuous self-improvement. Currently, only 151 of more than 26,000 departments nationwide have earned the honor.

“The Castle Rock Fire Department has worked hard to be the best at what we do in all aspects of the services we provide,” Fire Chief Art Morales said. “We felt that we were worthy of accreditation, and we embraced the challenge accreditation posed. We know that through accreditation, our community will continue to have one of the best fire departments in the nation.”

The journey to accreditation began two years ago with a community survey, which indicated residents wanted a quick and timely response from highly trained staff. The department set out to determine how current practices met those goals and to discuss ideas for improvement.

In May, a team of fire chiefs from around the country came to Castle Rock to evaluate all aspects of the department. After the three-day evaluation, the group recommended accreditation. The department presented to the Commission on Fire Accreditation International during a conference in Denver this week, where accreditation was officially granted.

Morales, along with Mayor Paul Donahue, Town Manager Mark Stevens, and other Town leadership attended the commission hearing.

“We’ve always known we have a top-notch fire department,” Donahue said. “Accreditation showcases, not only their stellar levels of service, but also their long-term commitment to improving their services for our residents, and that is something of which I’m very proud.”

For more information about accreditation, contact the Fire Chief’s Office, 303-660-1066 or fire@CRgov.com.