Deputy Fire Chief F. J. Spinelli of the Hartsdale Fire District has successfully completed the process that awards him the professional designation of “Chief Fire Officer” (CFO). The Commission on Professional Credentialing met on March 21, 2017 to officially confer the designation upon Deputy Chief Spinelli. Chief Spinelli is one of only 7 CFOs in New York State and 1,204 CFO’s worldwide.

The Chief Fire Officer Designation program is a voluntary program designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate their excellence in seven measured components including: Experience, Education, Professional Development, Professional Contributions, Association Membership, Community Involvement and Technical Competencies. The CFO designation program uses a comprehensive peer review model to evaluate candidates seeking the credential. The Commission found that Deputy Chief Spinelli has a rich knowledge of the emergency services professional and has far surpassed critical core competencies for personnel serving in senior fire officer positions.

A Board of Review consisting of members of the fire and emergency services profession, academia, and municipal agencies review each application and recommends successful candidates for designation to the Commission. The Commission on Professional Credentialing, an entity of the Center for Public Safety Excellence Inc., administers the CFO Designation Program. The CPC consists of individuals from academia, federal and local government, and fire and emergency medical services professions. To learn more about CPC, visit www.publicsafetyexcellence.org.

Deputy Chief Spinelli has spent the last 36 years in the fire service and has been a member of the Hartsdale Fire District for almost 26 years. His current assignments include designation as the Special Operations and apparatus officer.

The Hartsdale Fire District would like to congratulate Deputy Chief F.J. Spinelli on his great accomplishment. The hard work and devotion to duty elevates the high level of professionalism and service to the residents of the Hartsdale Fire District.