From Harford County government:
The Harford County Division of Emergency Operations (EOC) has received “Tri-Reaccreditation as an Emergency Medical, Fire and Police Dispatch Center of Excellence”. The award was announced by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Harford County Division of Emergency Operations was the second center in the world and first in the United States to be awarded this highest distinction for their comprehensive implementation and compliance with medical, fire and police priority dispatch system and its associated “20 Points of Excellence”. The County’s EOC received its first Tri-Accreditation as a Dispatch Center of Excellence in 2009.
Earning the Tri-Reaccreditation award is voluntary and involves completing a detailed self-study and analysis. The accomplishment demonstrates to not only each individual within the communications center, but also to the administration, community and peers that the Harford County Division of Emergency Operations is compliant with all international practice standards for Emergency Medical, Fire and Police Dispatch.
Commenting on receiving the award, Harford County Executive David R. Craig stated, “All of Harford County is proud of the dedicated, professional men and women who serve the people of our county with exemplary service. Attaining this international recognition from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch is quite an honor,” Craig remarked.
The Harford County Division of Emergency Operations is responsible for the emergency medical dispatch of all police, fire and EMS related calls for Harford County, and serves a population of nearly 250,000 people covering more than 450 square miles.
The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization comprised of three allied academies with related programs and standards for emergency medical, fire and police dispatching. The IAED regularly reviews and updates the Police Priority Dispatch System (PPDS) protocols for EPD and also maintains protocols and certification standards for fire and medical dispatch based on the time-proven logic structure.
The NAED is the public-safety dispatch industry’s leading certifying and standard-setting body, with more than 30,000 members in 20 countries.
I wonder how much money this “Tri-Reaccreditation” cost the citizens of Harford County? This stuff isn’t free. The Dagger should inquire.
Let me Google that for you (LMGTFY)
Accreditation/Re-accreditation
Application
$2,250 application, processing, and review fee. $500 of this fee will be refunded if the application is not approved. If the application is “rejected with advice” and requires the submission of 25 more cases for review, an additional fee of $100 will be assessed.
Maintenance Plan
If at the time of your Accreditation you wish to enroll in the Accreditation Maintenance Plan, your agency will be billed $650/year over your 3-year Accreditation period, reducing the total Re-Accreditation fee to $1950 nonrefundable (a $300 savings).
So then I guess the question becomes, what’s the point? Is there savings on the other end in some other part of the budget or is it for some reason required? Or is it just a feather in the cap/pat on the back sorta feel good thing, ie., meaningless?
All the accreditation can mean nothing if a bag of potato chips are left on the desk. Same people working there and same problems. Rick needs to step it up because the public school lady calls our house more!
I’d throw down for a bag of chips and a diet coke. Make sure to put your name on the bag. Wonder if they were worth it!