Barry County E9-1-1 reaccredited as Center of Excellence
October 2, 2019
Barry County Emergency Services E911 has successfully completed the intensive 20-step process to reaccredit as an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) with the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAED™). The center has once again achieved ACE status for its use of the Medical Priority Dispatch System™ (MPDS®). It is the 215th center in the world to attain Medical ACE. This distinction places the center among the very highest-performing emergency dispatch agencies worldwide.
ACE inspires agencies to perform superior, up-to-date public care and to employ efficient use of resources when handling all emergency call situations. Accreditation lasts three years. To achieve reaccreditation, agencies must meet or exceed the same standards required in the initial accreditation, which requires participation from everyone in the department. Because ACE agencies abide by these standards and have fulfilled these requirements, callers can have peace of mind knowing their needs will always be appropriately addressed and that they will receive the help they need.
This is the second time Barry County has been accredited for its use of the MPDS. It first accredited in 2016. The agency is one of six Medical ACEs in Missouri. The center also uses the Fire Priority Dispatch System™ (FPDS®) and the Police Priority Dispatch System™ (PPDS®).
Barry County Emergency Services E911 Executive Director Mike Phillips said it’s satisfying to achieve this recognition. He said employees have grown accustomed to performing at a high level and to constantly providing exemplary care to callers.
“It is a great feeling to know that our guys are meeting this quality of service and care,” he said. “I know it takes a lot of work, and it was nice for us to receive the recognition again.”
Phillips said striving for ACE status and attaining this goal exemplifies everything the agency stands for. The accomplishment is a testament to the dedication and commitment everyone displays.
“At Barry County E9-1-1, we pride ourselves on meeting or exceeding standards and expectations in the emergency dispatch industry,” he said. “We feel that earning the ACE distinction is one way we show our community and the citizens that we are performing at a high level and value the job we do. I think it proves to our employees and our community that they are meeting the highest standard of care in our industry. It also proves to myself what I already knew, and that is they are a top-performing group and should take pride in that.”
Just as it does for the initial accreditation, the IAED’s Board of Accreditation reviews the center’s application and documentation of the Twenty Points.
“There’s a tremendous amount of work that goes into reaccrediting as an ACE,” said IAED Chair of Accreditation Christof C. Chwojka. “We’re certainly proud of Barry County and its dedication to this process.”
Not only does the ACE distinction hold significant value for everyone at Barry County, but Olsen said it also should give callers peace of mind and confidence in the service they will receive.
“It just shows them that we value excellence and understand the impact our performance has on their emergency,” he said. “It demonstrates that by maintaining ACE or being accredited, we are trying to perform at the highest level. Hopefully, that increases confidence with our agencies we work with and the citizens we serve in this job we do every day.”
There are more than 250 centers throughout the world that have the ACE distinction among the 3,500 centers worldwide using the fire, police, medical, and nurse triage protocols for safe and efficient response to the wide variety of emergencies.
Barry County Emergency Services E911 has successfully completed the intensive 20-step process to reaccredit as an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) with the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAED™). The center has once again achieved ACE status for its use of the Medical Priority Dispatch System™ (MPDS®). It is the 215th center in the world to attain Medical ACE. This distinction places the center among the very highest-performing emergency dispatch agencies worldwide.
ACE inspires agencies to perform superior, up-to-date public care and to employ efficient use of resources when handling all emergency call situations. Accreditation lasts three years. To achieve reaccreditation, agencies must meet or exceed the same standards required in the initial accreditation, which requires participation from everyone in the department. Because ACE agencies abide by these standards and have fulfilled these requirements, callers can have peace of mind knowing their needs will always be appropriately addressed and that they will receive the help they need.
This is the second time Barry County has been accredited for its use of the MPDS. It first accredited in 2016. The agency is one of six Medical ACEs in Missouri. The center also uses the Fire Priority Dispatch System™ (FPDS®) and the Police Priority Dispatch System™ (PPDS®).
Barry County Emergency Services E911 Executive Director Mike Phillips said it’s satisfying to achieve this recognition. He said employees have grown accustomed to performing at a high level and to constantly providing exemplary care to callers.
“It is a great feeling to know that our guys are meeting this quality of service and care,” he said. “I know it takes a lot of work, and it was nice for us to receive the recognition again.”
Phillips said striving for ACE status and attaining this goal exemplifies everything the agency stands for. The accomplishment is a testament to the dedication and commitment everyone displays.
“At Barry County E9-1-1, we pride ourselves on meeting or exceeding standards and expectations in the emergency dispatch industry,” he said. “We feel that earning the ACE distinction is one way we show our community and the citizens that we are performing at a high level and value the job we do. I think it proves to our employees and our community that they are meeting the highest standard of care in our industry. It also proves to myself what I already knew, and that is they are a top-performing group and should take pride in that.”
Just as it does for the initial accreditation, the IAED’s Board of Accreditation reviews the center’s application and documentation of the Twenty Points.
“There’s a tremendous amount of work that goes into reaccrediting as an ACE,” said IAED Chair of Accreditation Christof C. Chwojka. “We’re certainly proud of Barry County and its dedication to this process.”
Not only does the ACE distinction hold significant value for everyone at Barry County, but Olsen said it also should give callers peace of mind and confidence in the service they will receive.
“It just shows them that we value excellence and understand the impact our performance has on their emergency,” he said. “It demonstrates that by maintaining ACE or being accredited, we are trying to perform at the highest level. Hopefully, that increases confidence with our agencies we work with and the citizens we serve in this job we do every day.”
There are more than 250 centers throughout the world that have the ACE distinction among the 3,500 centers worldwide using the fire, police, medical, and nurse triage protocols for safe and efficient response to the wide variety of emergencies.
