CALEA

Issue: # 27

March 2014

CALEA E-Communiqué

CALEA News

Professionalism, stewardship, integrity, diversity, independence, continuous improvement, objectivity, credibility, consistency, knowledge, experience, accountability, and collaboration are the primary cornerstones that distinguishes CALEA from all other forms of public safety accreditation.

Editorial Note: This issue of the CALEA E-Communiqué focuses on Public Safety Communications.

Message from the CALEA Chair

The Road Not Taken

J. Grayson Robinson

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth...

... I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

(Excerpts from The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost)

Occasionally, I have had the great fortune to witness the innocence of children and listen as they imagine their futures through the adventure of the mind known as, "When I grow up, I going to be a ...." From day to day and often, from moment to moment, those wonderful childhood visions of the future change from being a doctor or a firefighter or an astronaut or nurse or baseball player or a public safety professional, or anything that is of the most interest at that particular moment. MORE.

Executive Director's Message
Public Safety Communications - The Critical Services Link

W. Craig Hartley, Jr.

The effectiveness of any organization is the result of its collective components. In the public safety environment there are countless duties and responsibilities that must be met for any public safety entity to recognize its full potential. In fact, it starts with the process used to select and hire, includes operational segments ranging from patrol to investigations, and encompasses each administrative activity from records management to crime analysis. And, because public safety service delivery almost always begins with a call from the public, communications is a critical component in the broader system. MORE.

CALEA Leadership Profiles

Thomas A. Hanson, RPL

Executive Director

Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County Emergency Communications Center (ECC)

The Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County Emergency Communications Center (ECC), located in Charlottesville, Virginia, serves as the regional answering point for the city of Charlottesville, the University of Virginia, and the County of Albemarle. The ECC is responsible for taking and dispatching all police, fire, and rescue calls for the three communities.

Situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Central Virginia, the ECC covers 736 square miles and serves a population of approximately 150,000 citizens. Within the ECC's jurisdiction is Monticello, the home of President Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the founder of the University of Virginia. Both sites are national attractions that receive thousands of visitors annually. MORE.

Editorial Note: CALEA Leadership Profiles is a new feature for the newsletter. We want to recognize some of the many exceptional leaders involved in CALEA programming that provide inspiring leadership to their agency, to other CALEA agencies, and to the public safety profession. Agencies are encouraged to nominate additional leaders by submitting their names and profiles to CALEA E-Communiqué Editor Janice Dixon at jdixon@calea.org.

Communications Center Improves Service Delivery Through Accreditation

Michael Alcala-Michel, Accreditation Manager

Centro C4 de Baja California

The Direccion del Centro de Control, Comando, Comunicación Y Computo (C4) del Estado de Baja California in Mexico, known as Centro C4 de Baja California, proudly achieved CALEA Public Safety Communications Accreditation in March 2012. Like with many agencies, the process of getting accredited was not without its challenges. It is frequently said that change creates resistance, and for our emergency communications center, this was no exception. From the beginning of the CALEA Accreditation process when we started to work with the standards and initiated the implementation of new directives, many staff viewed it as additional work and did not see or appreciate the benefits that accreditation would bring. During the many meetings held to train the staff on the new procedures, there was resistance to change or to accepting more responsibility. MORE.

Communications Open Channel

The APCO/CALEA Committee

Steven McDade APCO/CALEA Committee Member
Jo-Anne Munroe APCO/CALEA Committee Chair

If there was a process that your agency could go through that enabled each member within your organization to be fully aware of your practices, policies, procedures, and guidelines; would you choose to participate? How about having best practices in place that could minimize your organization's exposure to liability? Would you like to demonstrate that your organization meets the "best practices" of our profession, as determined by an independent credentialing authority? Then becoming CALEA Public Safety Communications Accredited is the answer. MORE.

Editorial Note: As a CALEA Partner, APCO International pens the Communications Open Channel column, which focuses on topics of interest to our clients, particularly those in the Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program.

2014 CALEA Spring Conference
Garden Grove, California

March 19 - 22, 2014

It's Not Too Late to Attend!!

The Garden Grove Conference starts next week and registration is still available onsite. Don't miss this opportunity to visit California and take advantage of an exceptional training lineup.

Visit the CALEA Conference link for a Tentative Conference Agenda or a Workshops listing.

The conference hotel is the Hyatt Regency Orange County. Check the Hotel/Lodging tab for information.

The Orange County - John Wayne Airport (SNA) is the nearest airport, located approximately 10 miles from the hotel. Visit the SuperShuttle website for prearranged transportation services. Taxi and car rentals are also available onsite.

A great Agency Appreciation evening of food and beverages - accompanied by live music - is on tap for Thursday evening at the hotel. This complimentary event is open to all registered attendees.

Follow on Twitter during the conference at #CALEA_Conf for updates and announcements.

We look forward to seeing you in California!

Program Managers' Corner

Designing and Implementing a Quality Check System

As agencies seek to improve their personnel's performance, there are many standards that have a direct impact on day to day operations. Communications Standard 6.1.5 is a prime example of one of those standards. MORE.

CALEA Commissioner News

Commissioner Pillo Announces Retirement
Commissioner Linda Pillo has announced her retirement from the Bellevue (WA) Police Department on April 15, 2014.Throughout her 35 year public safety career, 28 years at Bellevue and seven of those as chief, Commissioner Pillo has made a meaningful difference in her community - on and off the police force. When she was first hired in 1979, there were very few women officers working patrol throughout the nation, and she helped blaze the trail for women in the field of law enforcement.

Former CALEA Chairperson Dies
CALEA recently received notification of the death of Ronald D. Nelson, CALEA Commissioner from 1988-1998 and Chairperson from 1992-1995. He was a former chief of police of the Berkeley (CA) Police Department. View the news announcement.

CALEA Client News

Agency News

Click here to view the latest CEO Changes.

Accreditation Support Networks (PAC)

For a list of accreditation support networks click here.

Career Opportunities

The latest job announcements are posted on the CALEA website. Click here to view the postings.

Lessons Learned and Emerging Issues
Links to several new reports of interest to CALEA agencies have been added to this section of the CALEA website. View the latest articles posted.

Prince William County Communications Receives APCO Project 33 Certification

One of 8 Agencies in Virginia with Project 33 Certification

Hazel Colson

Accreditation Manager

Prince William County (VA)

Public Safety Communications

Prince William County Public Safety Communications is committed to providing excellent service to the community we serve, its visitors, our customers, and our employees. It is a C size communications agency and has been CALEA Accredited since March 2003. The communications center is a component of the 2009 CALEA TRI-ARC award for Prince William County, Virginia, which includes the 1989 law enforcement accredited police department and the 2009 training academy accredited Prince William County Police Department, Criminal Justice Training Academy. MORE.

In This Issue

Message from CALEA Chair

Executive Director's Message

Accreditation Works!

Communications Open Channel

CALEA Spring Conference

Program Managers' Corner

Commissioner News

Client News

Project 33 Certificate Awarded

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