Emergency 911: County recognizes re-accreditation

Malia Thomas, The Valdosta Daily Times, Ga.
·1 min read

Nov. 11—VALDOSTA — Lowndes County 911 was recently awarded by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies communications re-accreditation and was recognized by the Lowndes County Commission during an appreciation event.

According to Danny Weeks, director of Lowndes County 911, Lowndes County is one of seven Georgia 911 Centers that holds the CALEA public safety communications accreditation.

Accreditation lasts for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with assessed standards.

Lowndes County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter said the county was first awarded the accreditation in July 2003 and has maintained it ever since.

"To achieve the re-accreditation, the county needed to meet over 207 standards during the review process. I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication the 911 Center employees put in every day to respond to calls for help from our residents," he said.

Weeks said the primary mission of CALEA is to accredit public safety agencies, including communications centers, by using a national body of standards developed by law enforcement professionals.

Lowndes County dispatch has handled an average of 630 emergency and nonemergency calls a day for the past year, including handling calls for Valdosta State University and Echols County.

The CALEA assessment team is comprised of public safety communications practitioners from similar out-of-state agencies. Assessors reviewed written materials, and videos and interviewed individuals to verify compliance before voting to approve the Lowndes County 911 Center's re-accreditation.