By Becky Robinette Wright
Fire Chief James A. Gray, Jr. of Hampton Fire & Rescue has successfully completed the process that awards him the professional designation of “Chief Fire Officer” (CFO).
The Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC) met on July 8, 2009, to officially confer the designation upon Chief Gray.
Worldwide there are only 660 CFO’s.
The CPC awards the CFO designation only after an individual successfully meets all of the organization’s stringent criteria. The process includes an assessment of the applicant’s education, experience, professional development, technical competencies, contributions to the profession, and community involvement. In addition, all applicants are required to identify a future professional development plan.
Officials said that Chief James Gray has a rich knowledge of the emergency services profession and has far surpassed critical core competencies for personnel serving in senior fire officer positions.
The Commission on Professional Credentialing, an entity of the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc., (CPSE) administers the CFO Designation Program. The CPC consists of individuals from academia, federal and local government, and the fire and emergency medical services profession. To learn more about CPC, visit www.publicsafetyexcellence.org.
Chief Gray has been a member of Hampton Fire & Rescue for 5 years and currently resides in Hampton .