Charleston Reporter

Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center and its staff have been honored for maintaining national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in the communications program. 

The November award comes after a multiyear self-assessment phase and thorough site-based assessment of community engagement, policy, procedures, equipment and facilities by CALEA assessors. 

Consolidated 911 Center Director Tim Lake said in a Jan. 19 county press release accreditations like this help demonstrate where an agency stacks up on a national level and to show the public how much work is being put in to provide the best possible service to residents. 

Added CALEA President and University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Chief Anthony Purcell: “This award of accreditation does not come easy. Agencies must go through a rigorous review and evaluation of their organization and then implement the necessary policy and procedure changes.”

The process, Purcell said, does not stop at that point. Seeking CALEA accreditation commits the agency to an ongoing review of adherence to CALEA’s standards, meaning each community with CALEA accredited agencies should feel confident that their public safety organization is going above and beyond and operating under the highest standards of public safety. 

It is the 911 Center’s third national accreditation award. The center currently takes emergency calls for Joint Base Charleston Fire & Emergency Services, according to the county website. 

Founded in 1979, CALEA works as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement's major executive associations: International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP); National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); National Sheriffs' Association (NSA); and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). 

Among its objectives, the release said, is the commission aims to develop standards based on international best practices in public safety and to establish and administer the accreditation process. 

With this, the accreditation process allows public safety agencies to voluntarily demonstrate how they meet professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.