"A CALEA accreditation for our communications operations shines a huge spotlight on the CHP as one of the most recognized and respected law enforcement agencies and confirms what we have recognized all along, we have some of the best dispatchers in the world who perform their duties with a standard of excellence." -CSLEA Sr. Vice President, CHP-PSDA President Tina Brazil
On November 25, 2014, The California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced that its 9-1-1 communications centers, which answer approximately seven million 9-1-1 calls a year, earned prestigious accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), for its communications operations.
"This is beyond prestigious, " said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) Sr. Vice President & CHP-Public Safety Dispatchers Association President Tina Brazil. "I am proud of Commander DeeDee Teel and her Communications Center Support Services team. They have worked very hard to make this happen. It's a very detailed process and it means our CHP dispatchers and the policies and procedures by which they perform their life-protecting and life-saving duties meet national standards of excellence."
CHP public safety dispatchers are often overlooked as first responders. They take on an astronomical number of 9-1-1 calls for service, including most of the wireless calls in the state. Their training and professionalism in handling one emergency after another lead to a Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) accreditation within the last year.
"Congratulations to our CSLEA members who are CHP public safety dispatchers for their outstanding public safety work ," said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona. "Our CHP dispatchers are among the most professional in the world. They work long hours under stressful situations and are always there for the citizens of California and those who visit here."
To meet accreditation standards, the CHP implemented a statewide quality assurance program for its 25 communications center. Supervisors review audio tapes of 9-1-1 calls and analyze performance according to several performance measurements, including the dispatcher’s speech, prioritizing of information, and accuracy documenting calls. Dispatchers receive constructive feedback and are given an opportunity for self-assessment.
By receiving accreditation for its communications centers, the CHP became one of the first two agencies in California to receive the CALEA TRI-ARC award, which recognizes concurrent accreditation for law enforcement, public safety communications, and public safety training activities. The CHP was awarded initial accreditation in 2010 and was reaccredited in 2013, the same year the CHP Academy in West Sacramento was also accredited.
