The Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) has 12 members who may serve up to three 3-year terms. CFAI members represent a cross-section of the fire and emergency service, including fire departments, city and county management, labor, standards development organizations, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
CFAI selects a Chair and Vice Chair from among their current membership. CFAI holds public hearings at the CPSE Excellence Conference and at the CPSE Summer Symposium to review agencies applying for accredited status. Learn more about the individuals that graciously volunteer their time to overseeing accreditation.
Steve Dirksen is fire chief of the Fargo, North Dakota, Fire Department, a CFAI accredited agency. He began his fire service career in 1989 with the Rock Valley, Iowa, Fire Department and then joined the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Fire Department where he moved up through the ranks to Battalion Chief until he was appointed fire chief in Fargo in 2011.
Chief Dirksen holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Sioux Falls and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program.
Chief Dirksen earned his designation as Chief Fire Officer in 2014.
Since 2006, Bradley Arnold has served as the County Administrator of Sumter County (FL) Board of County Commissioners and oversees a CFAI accredited agency. Prior to joining Sumter County he held two similar positions in Georgia. His earlier career included working in two family businesses and serving in the United States Navy Reserve which included an active duty deployment to Afghanistan.
Mr. Arnold earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from The Citadel and a Master of Public Administration degree from Valdosta State.
Cathy Ball has served as city manager for Johnson City, Tennessee since December 2021. In this capacity Cathy oversees a CFAI accredited agency. Prior to returning home to East Tennessee, she spent 24 years with the City of Asheville, NC as an assistant city manager, interim city manager, Public Works director, and a licensed professional engineer with an emphasis on civil engineering. Her career in local government began with the City of Greenville, SC, in 1988.
A native of Erwin, TN, Cathy is a graduate of Tennessee Technological University and earned her master’s degree in public administration from Western Carolina University.
Dave Coker began his fire service career in 2005. He is currently a Captain with the Greensboro Fire Department (NC), a CFAI accredited agency, where he serves as the shift Safety Officer. Captain Coker was elected President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Greensboro IAFF Local 947 in 2011. Local 947 is the largest union of active duty firefighters in the state of North Carolina.
Captain Coker holds an associate’s degree in Fire Protection Technology from Coastal Carolina Community College
Steve Dongworth is fire chief for the Calgary Fire Department a CFAI accredited agency. He joined the department in 1992 and has held the positions of deputy chief of Community Standards, Recruitment and Training; Operations; Community Services; Administration; and Emergency Management.
Chief Dongworth has completed a number of university-level management certificate programs in health and safety; general management and strategic management and has received a Masters Certificate in Municipal Learning.
Chief Dongworth earned his designation as Chief Fire Officer in 2020.
Ken Holland is a senior emergency service specialist with the National Fire Protection Association. He has 23 years in EMS, of which 19 years he has devoted his time to being a paramedic. Before the NFPA, Mr. Holland was a member of the Bridgewater, Massachusetts Fire Department for 5 years as a fire fighter/paramedic and the ALS coordinator for the department.
Mr. Holland has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and master’s degree in Public Administration.
Otto Huber is the fire chief of the Loveland-Symmes Ohio Fire Department, a CFAI accredited agency and ISO Class 1. Chief Huber has served the department since 1976 and has spent the last 20 years as the fire chief.
Chief Huber is a graduate of the Ohio Fire Executive program as well as holds numerous certificate and certifications from local and national institutions.
Chief Huber earned the designation as Chief Fire Officer in 2014 and has received national, state, and local awards for leadership including Ohio Fire Officer of the year.
Salvatore Izzo is a Senior Risk Control/Fire Protection Engineer for Verisk Insurance Solutions – Commercial Lines Underwriting (Insurance Services Office, ISO) with over 28 years of experience in the fire protection industry. He is a member of the American Water Works Association’s Fire Protection Committee, a Professional Member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers and a member of the National Fire Protection Association and National Fire Sprinkler Association. Mr. Izzo is a licensed Professional Engineer in the discipline of Fire Protection Engineering and is an NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist. He has over 30 years of experience as a fire fighter and line officer with the Middletown Township Fire Department/EMS, as an instructor at the Middletown Township Fire Academy and with the College Park Volunteer Fire Department.
Mr. Izzo received his Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park.
Robert McClintock is the Director of Fire and EMS Operations for the International Association Fire Fighters (IAFF). Robert retired as a Captain after a 25-year career with the City of Hackensack, New Jersey, Fire Department. Robert is a nationally registered paramedic and has an extensive background in 9-1-1 dispatch. As the IAFF’s Director of Fire and EMS Operations, Robert provides direction to a talented and dedicated group of GIS analysts, data analysts, and subject matter experts who perform response, risk, and demand analysis for fire and EMS departments across the United States of America and Canada.
Since 2006, JC Mitchell has served as a Battalion Chief with the City of Carmel Fire Department (IN), a CFAI accredited agency. He has been a Nationally Registered paramedic since 2010. JC has been serving on the executive board of the Carmel Professional Fire Fighters IAFF local 4444 since 2011 and has filled the presidents’ role since 2019. Chief Mitchell also serves on the executive board as 5th District Vice President for the Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana.
Chief Mitchell has a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in Agriculture and his master’s degree in public administration from Purdue University Global.
Gregg Moriguchi is the Regional Fire Chief for the Federal Fire Department, Navy Region Hawaii, a CFAI accredited agency. He began his career in Fire/EMS in 1991 with the City & County of Honolulu, Emergency Services Department. In 2000, Chief Moriguchi joined the Federal Fire Department and served as Battalion Chief-EMS, District Chief-Operations, and Deputy Chief.
Chief Moriguchi holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration-Finance and a master’s degree in Executive Fire Service Leadership. He is also a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.
Rick Potter is fire chief of the Shawnee, Kansas, Fire Department, a CFAI accredited agency. He began his career in 1990 with the Pueblo, Colorado, Fire Department where he moved up through the ranks to deputy fire chief until he retired and was appointed fire chief in Shawnee in 2020.
Chief Potter holds a bachelor’s degree in Fire Services Administration from Western Oregon University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from American Public University. Chief Potter earned his designation as a Certified Public Manager from the University of Kansas. Chief Potter earned his designation as Chief Fire Officer in 2015.