The emergency dispatch center serving Rehoboth Beach has received international recognition for outstanding performance, earning designation as an Accredited Center of Excellence from The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch®. The local facility now holds ACE status for emergency medical, police, and fire dispatching services, ranking as the 79th Emergency Medical Dispatch ACE facility globally.
The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch serves as the global standard-setting body for emergency dispatch operations worldwide. This accreditation represents the most prestigious honor available to emergency communication facilities, confirming the center operates at or exceeds established industry benchmarks. Facilities achieving ACE designation exemplify superior dispatching practices through demonstrated local supervision, strict quality control measures, and dedication to ongoing improvement based on performance data.
“Re-ACE is not something you accomplish once, it’s something an agency has to earn every day; it is a direct reflection of the professionalism and compassion our 911 team demonstrates day in and day out,” stated Nicholas Priddy, Emergency Communication Manager. “The recognition belongs to the entire team. They consistently perform at a high level while serving people on what is often the worst day of their lives.”
Earning Re-Accredited Center of Excellence designation demands compliance with strict national protocols for emergency call processing and quality oversight. The facility maintains operational procedures that correspond with these standards while collaborating with regional and state public safety officials to ensure call-handling methods address Rehoboth Beach community requirements.
During the reaccreditation evaluation, emergency calls undergo independent assessment by Academy reviewers who examine both dispatcher effectiveness and the facility’s internal quality control program. At the local level, the quality assurance team analyzes more than fifty percent of all emergency calls annually, delivering continuous feedback and guidance that enables dispatchers to surpass national performance standards.
“Accreditation is truly a pinnacle achievement,” commented Christof Chwojka, Accreditation Board Chair at IAED. “We applaud the dedicated calltakers, dispatchers, and leadership team at [Agency] for their commitment to quality, and for meeting that high standard that few achieve. We know their community can count on these first, first responders to do an outstanding job.”
The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch will provide Rehoboth Beach with a commemorative accreditation plaque recognizing their accomplishment. IAED Accreditation concludes an extensive, demanding process involving completion of 20 Accreditation Points, comprehensive performance evaluation by industry specialists, and final assessment and approval by IAED officials.
The accreditation remains effective for three years, during which all performance standards must continue to be maintained. Emergency communication facilities may obtain multiple accreditations, with separate recognition available for each emergency service area they support, including medical, fire, police, and emergency nurse triage operations.
More than 3,500 emergency communication facilities across the globe utilize the medical, fire, police, and emergency nurse triage protocols created and updated by the IAED. This protocol-driven system, called the Priority Dispatch System™, is acknowledged as the standard of care and practice for emergency dispatching operations and is implemented in 46 nations.
For over four decades, the IAED has served as the standard-establishing organization for emergency dispatch and response operations worldwide, functioning as the premier organization of emergency dispatch professionals. The member-driven association works to serve communities through professional training and development of dispatchers, with various boards and councils operating on behalf of membership and in partnership with other public safety organizations to ensure emergency dispatching systems remain safe, efficient, effective, and current.
