More than just a reversal of words, going from Fire Chief to Chief Fire Officer is an international credential that only chief officers serving at or above the level of battalion chief can achieve. Gilmer Fire Chief Daniel Kauffman, serving at the top level of Gilmer Fire, has joined these ranks this month as he completed the designation process on August 2, 2022.
An international designation, only 1,755 Chief Fire Officers (CFO) exist worldwide, with 66 in the state of Georgia. The program is a part of the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) corporation that helps high-performing fire departments and emergency services professionals in their efforts to continuously improve.