Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Brianna Bonilla | NAVAL AIR FACILITY (NAF) ATSUGI, Japan (April 13, 2026) - Commander, Navy Region Japan...... read more read more
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NAVAL AIR FACILITY ATSUGI, Japan (June 1, 2026) – On Thursday May 22, 2026, a team of assessors from the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) and fire chiefs from Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi met with Cmdr. James Beaty, NAF Atsugi’s executive officer, to discuss the findings from the fire department accreditation assessment.
“We have unanimously decided to recommend the fire department on NAF Atsugi for accreditation,” Matthew Knott, the CPSE peer leader told Beaty during the meeting in the NAF Atsugi conference room.
The Commander, Navy Region Japan Fire & Emergency Services NAF Atsugi Department has been working on the CPSE accreditation process for three years, with the final step being a formal hearing in front of a 13-member board which is now scheduled for August 2026. The NAF Atsugi fire department is the first department in Navy Region Japan to reach the on-site assessment part of the accreditation process and the first in the region to be recommended to the Commission on Fire Accreditation International board.
Earning CPSE accreditation is a long and enduring process that is reserved for departments that strive for excellence. There are only 337 accredited agencies worldwide and only 14% of the U.S. population is protected by an accredited agency.
“For the last three years we have been focusing on engraving our policies and practices of high standards into the department,” said Derrick Dimitris, a NAF Atsugi deputy fire chief. “This process of gaining and maintaining accreditation is continuous and is important to solidifying best practices into the institutional memory of our department that can be maintained long after I transfer out of NAF Atsugi.”
CPSE accreditation is a voluntary process that reviews policy and practices within the department and makes recommendations for improvement. Accredited departments learn from the critiques and implement policy changes to improve the department’s readiness.
“Our primary mission is the flight line, but there are a lot of other aspects in a diverse community like NAF Atsugi”, said Arnel Dorn, NAF Atsugi’s fire chief. “As technology and practices evolve, our processes must evolve as well. We are looking into the CPSE recommendations and seeing how we can use them to enhance our mission and better serve our community.”
The final outcome to the three years of hard work and dedication will be determined this summer in Illinois when the NAF Atsugi fire chiefs attend the Commission on Fire Accreditation International board.
NAF Atsugi supports the combat readiness of Commander, Fleet Air Western Pacific, Commander, Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW) 5, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 51 and 23 other tenant commands, and provides logistic support, coordination, and services to units assigned to the Western Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 05.31.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2026 00:45 |
| Story ID: | 566523 |
| Location: | KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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