Within the fire protection training and education community there are two major organizations that are widely recognized throughout the United States and in many other countries as well. These organizations are:
The National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (NBFSPQ) who's headquarters is located in Quincy, MA.
The International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) who's headquarters is located in Stillwater, OK.
Both of these organizations seek to increase the level of professionalism in the fire services through accreditation of certification programs. In that respect, they are quite similar in their stated missions. Typically you'll find that a state or region has aligned themselves with one or both of these two organizations to achieve accreditation of their training and education programs. Reciprocity for certifications gained through each organization is common as they both use the National Fire Protection Association's consensus standards (National Fire Codes) as their guidelines for certification. However, it should be noted that it is up to the local authority having jurisdiction to grant reciprocity.
One area that is unique between the two organizations is that IFSAC also offers accreditation to colleges and universities who offer fire related degree programs.
Visit their web sites for more detailed information on how they operate and what fire service organizations are accredited through them.