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Accreditation ACCREDITATION ASSESSMENT TEAM INVITES PUBLIC COMMENT
To maintain its status as a nationally accredited agency, Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch must submit to re-accreditation assessments every three years. This is done to verify ongoing compliance to the nearly two hundred twenty “best practices” standards issued by CALEA. Central received its first re-accreditation award in 2002. In April 2005, the Center was due for its second re-accreditation assessment and was re-inspected by a CALEA assessment team. The assessors spent three days conducting a thorough and rigorous on-site assessment of the agency. Upon completion of the assessment, the team submitted a detailed report of their findings to the Commission which, based on the contents of this report, would then make a determination whether or not to grant re-accreditation status to Central. Among some of the comments submitted by the team in its final report to the Commission were the following: “The team observed a high level of unity of purpose that transcends a level consistent with [agencies of its size] and in our experience matches the highest levels of any size public safety communications center. The mission statement for Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch is not simply words—but a statement of core values that drive every organizational aspect observed by the team. Central is truly driven by technology and teamwork at the highest levels. This agency is one of the most unique, innovative and creative agencies of its size.” “The team was impressed with the high level of attention provided to [computer and network] infrastructure protection at Central that exceeds the …requirement of the [CALEA] standard.” “The panel review portion [of the assessment] enabled the agency to highlight the high level of professional competence inherent in its personnel. The panel presentations [made by employees] corroborated the tremendous level of personal and professional commitment demonstrated by all personnel at Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch throughout the assessment.” “In its less than eleven short years Central has become the epitome of professional standards and a system approach to processing emergency telecommunications. It is one of the most technologically advanced centers of its kind in the field.” In July of 2005, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies not only granted Central re-accreditation status, but recognized Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch as a “Flagship Agency”—a rare and difficult to attain honor bestowed upon agencies that not only meet the requirements for a second re-accreditation, but do so with the utmost of excellence. Flagship Agency status is granted to the very best of the best. |
On March 23, 1996, Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch began the certification process through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The Certification Program allowed a stand-alone communications center, which directly supports law enforcement, to demonstrate compliance with state-of-the-art operations and management standards. In 1996, CALEA and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International (APCO) combined resources to develop a voluntary accreditation program specifically for Public Safety Communications Agencies. In 1998, Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch was the first agency to apply for this program and within 9 months had undergone an on-site assessment by a team of CALEA representatives to ensure compliance with the new standards. On March 20, 1999, Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch was the first communications agency ever awarded National Accredited status by the Commission. Central had the distinction of being the only accredited center in the nation for over a year before any other agencies were able to successfully complete the process. | © Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch 2004 - 2008 | Webmaster - webmaster@nwbcd.org |