NSA Bahrain Fire and Emergency Services Department Receives Official Accreditation

By Nathan Hollway, NSA Bahrain Fire and Emergency Services Department

NSA Bahrain Fire and Emergency Services Department received accredited agency status from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) at the Center for Public Safety Excellence Commission hearings in Orlando, Florida.

NSA Bahrain Fire Department is now a part of a very distinct group of 74 Department of Defense Fire Departments and 227 civilian fire departments worldwide that have obtained CFAI accredited status.

“I’m overjoyed. This is a major accomplishment for this young department. To think that this department was only established 11-years ago in 2012, and now has achieved this status is a true testament of all the members’ hard work and dedication to pursue excellence,” said NSA Bahrain Fire Chief Shawn Herrera. “The CFAI accreditation process is excellent. It is a proactive mechanism to plan for agency and service area changes, which is extremely valuable considering the constant growth onboard NSA Bahrain. This process will aid in the future when locating areas where we can improve the quality of the services we provide.”

Agency accreditation is a requirement for U.S. Navy Fire Departments. The accreditation model examines 250 performance indicators that must be verified through document review and onsite assessment process conducted by CFAI peer assessors. The process enables fire and emergency agencies the ability to examine performance levels and compare them to industry best practices. The process is very thorough and accreditation reports often include peer recommendations for improvement beyond what the department has identified. In total, NSA Bahrain Fire Department accreditation documentation that was submitted and reviewed by CFAI exceeded 400 pages. This is the first time NSA Bahrain went through the CFAI accreditation process. In order to maintain accreditation, the department will have to go through the process every five years.

“It was a collective effort from our internal and external stakeholders to get through this accreditation

Drazek Teaching Excellence Award to outstanding faculty members in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Nominated by UMGC Europe students, Dr. Alaa Afifi was selected as a Drazek award recipient and recognized at the UMGC Europe commencement ceremony held at Ramstein in late April.

Courtesy story from Michael Kono and Dr. Alaa Afifi

The late Chancellor, Dr. Stanley J. Drazek, had a 32-year career with The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). He was devoted to establishing teaching excellence as the university's top priority. In this spirit, UMGC recognizes the highest teaching accomplishments each year by bestowing the Stanley J.

“There are no words I could actually use to describe how I felt when honored with presentation of the Stanley Drazek Teaching Excellence Award,” said Dr. Afifi. “Standing up on the stage after my name had been announced, was a great and auspicious occasion for me.”

Dr. Afifi has been teaching with UMGC in Manama, Bahrain, since 2004. A fixture on the base, as well as at the US Embassy, Dr. Afifi is the go-to person when it comes to teaching Arabic language and culture. He is able to take students with no prior knowledge of Arabic and, within a semester or two, give them a working knowledge of the language and a greater appreciation of the culture.

He does this through a combination of continuous engagement with students in and out of the classroom and adding healthy doses of kindness and humor in all his interactions. Because of his contributions, a whole generation of students gained the knowledge and skills to appreciate their time better downrange.

“I felt proud of my profession and career to receive such a prestigious and honorable award. It is a great feeling for me to have been selected as a deserving professor for this recognition,” said Dr. Afifi. “That moment solidified my dedication and reassured me that I could make difference. I love what I do and the award reinvigorated me to return to the classroom and continue inspiring my phenomenal students.”