An
international standard-setting organization has recognized the Collier County
Sheriff’s Office Communications Center as an Emergency Medical Dispatch “Center
of Excellence” and awarded the agency a three-year certificate of
re-accreditation.
CCSO was the 52nd communications center in the world to be awarded the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch’s (IAED) highest distinction for the agency’s comprehensive implementation and compliance with the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) and associated “20 Points of Excellence.”
CCSO was the 52nd communications center in the world to be awarded the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch’s (IAED) highest distinction for the agency’s comprehensive implementation and compliance with the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) and associated “20 Points of Excellence.”
CCSO was
first accredited in 2001.
“It takes an
entire team to carry out the international practice standards for emergency
medical dispatch each day,” said Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk. “The standards are high and the Collier County
Sheriff’s Office is proud to be one of only 127 dispatch centers worldwide to achieve
them.”
The MPDS is
the world’s most widely used 911-type pre-arrival instruction and
dispatch-life-support protocol system. With scripted telephone instructions for
CPR, airway obstruction relief, hemorrhage control, and childbirth assistance,
the MPDS has been credited with helping save thousands of lives. In addition to
requiring proper system oversight, medical control and quality improvement programs,
re-accreditation demands careful MPDS compliance and certification for all
emergency call-takers and medical dispatchers.
The “20
Points of Excellence” is a detailed self-reported checklist that examines an
agency’s compliance with industry standards in areas such as staffing,
training, equipment and even design of an agency’s dispatch center.
Earning this
re-accreditation award is voluntary and involves completing a detailed
self-study and analysis.
The IAED
Board of Accreditation voted unanimously to approve CCSO for this important
recognition.
“This
accomplishment demonstrates to not only each individual within the
communications center, but also to the administration community, and the world
that the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is compliant with all international
practice standards for Emergency Medical Dispatch,” the IAED said in a press
release announcing CCSO’s re-accreditation.
The IAED is
an international organization headquartered in Salt Lake City created in 1988
as a standard-setting organization for the field of emergency medical dispatch,
according to the group’s website. IAED has two roles: one as a
membership-driven association for the professional recognition of dispatchers
and, the other, as an Academy that develops and maintains fire, police, and
medical dispatch protocols and curriculum for member use in response to
emergency calls for help. For more information about the IAED, visit www.emergencydispatch.org.
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