Georgetown Fire Chief Fred Mitchell Jr. has been granted accreditation for the level of fire chief by the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission.
The FSC is a gubernatorial appointed board that has established a process for uniform credentialing for the level of fire chief based on education, training and experience in areas relevant to serving as fire chief.
“I am committed to working hard to continue my education so I can provide the highest quality of service to the Georgetown community, so receiving this recognition is truly an honor,” Mitchell said. “I would like to thank the members of the fire department for their continued support throughout this process.”
The program establishes benchmarks for training in fire and emergency service management so that chiefs may be better prepared to serve their department and community.
“This program allows chief officers to document their efforts to develop and maintain the skills to be an effective leader and manager in today’s fire service,” said State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey. “The process provides an equal opportunity for the volunteer, call, or full-time fire service leader to meet the minimum criteria for achieving fire chief accreditation.”
Each applicant’s documentation is reviewed by a subcommittee of the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission to determine if the individual has attained a minimum level of credits for education, training and experience.
In addition to achieving accreditation, Chief Mitchell also received his master’s degree in public administration from Anna Maria College last December.
Application for accreditation is open to all fire service members in the Commonwealth serving as chief of a department, or any person holding the rank of captain or above. Participation in the program is voluntary and all eligible personnel are encouraged to partake. Credentialed participants are required to renew their credentials every three years.
Mitchell started as fire chief in Georgetown in fall 2015. He previously served as deputy fire chief of the North Cumberland District in Rhode Island.