Seminole County Fire Department earns perfect national reaccreditation score

Seminole County Fire Department received a perfect score in its latest national reaccreditation review, a result that put the county’s ambulance and emergency medical system under a bright public spotlight rather than behind a ceremonial certificate.

The recognition marked SCFD’s fifth CAAS reaccreditation since it first became accredited in 2011. County officials said the designation reflects strict standards for patient care, operations, leadership and performance, the kind of scrutiny that matters most when a 911 call sends EMTs and paramedics racing to homes, crashes and medical emergencies across Seminole County.

County Chairman Andria Herr called the result proof of the department’s day-to-day professionalism. “Earning CAAS reaccreditation with a perfect score is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the professionalism of our Seminole County Fire Department,” Herr said, framing the honor as more than a plaque on the wall. For residents in Sanford, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Casselberry, Winter Springs, Lake Mary and Oviedo, the practical meaning is that the agency responsible for prehospital care met national expectations at the highest level.

Fire Chief Matt Kinley said about 76% of the department’s response calls by EMTs and paramedics were EMS-related, underscoring how central medical response has become to the fire department’s mission. SCFD handled 38,455 EMS incidents last year, a volume that shows how often Seminole County residents depend on the system for urgent care long before they reach a hospital.

The reaccreditation also comes from a department with a long operational history. Seminole County says SCFD was created by ordinance on Sept. 10, 1974, and established at midnight on Oct. 1, 1974. The department celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 and now says it has 576 personnel serving nearly half a million residents from 20 stations, with a 21st station on the way. County materials describe a fire and EMS system staffed by more than 560 paramedics and EMTs working under a medical director with shared practice parameters and standing orders.

SCFD’s annual report says its growth has included a hazardous materials team, the Special Hazards & Operations Team, Air Rescue 3, Florida Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 4 and a training center opened in 2007. The department also holds ISO Class 1 and Commission on Fire Accreditation International recognition, while county records say its dispatch operation has earned ACE accreditation, making SCFD the only fire department in Florida to hold ISO 1, International Fire Accreditation, CAAS and ACE accreditation at the same time.

With only a small number of CAAS-accredited fire departments nationwide and just 24 accredited agencies in Florida, the perfect score added another layer of accountability to a county system residents lean on when seconds matter most.