Accreditations and Certifications
Accreditations
After two years of exhaustive preparation and a thorough assessment of the organization, Valley Communications Center became the first communications center on the West Coast to receive national accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) on November 17, 2001. Agencies receiving CALEA Accreditation have proven to use the best business practices and meet or exceed industry standards. Accreditation is an on-going effort that requires periodic re-assessment every four years, Valley Com was last reaccredited in 2024.
Valley Com’s Accreditation Manager is our Administrative Assistant, Tracy Fitzgerald, who can be reached at tracyf@valleycom.org. See www.calea.org to find more information on CALEA and the accreditation process.
Anyone wishing to provide comments regarding our agency's compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status may provide comments to CALEA through the following Public Comment Portal by clicking here. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide our agency with information to support continuous improvement, as well as foster the pursuit of professional excellence.
IMPORTANT: CALEA is not an investigatory body and subsequently the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. Additionally, there will be no response other than acknowledgment of submissions; however, the information will be considered in context to its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA(r) Accreditation.
Certifications
Agency Traiing Program Accreditation
In 2006, Valley Communications Center’s
Training Program became the first in the nation to be recognized for meeting or
exceeding APCO International’s Project 33 Revised Minimum Training Standards
for Public Safety Telecommunicators, which define the minimum training
requirements for personnel working in public safety communications. The program
earned Project 33 recertification in 2009, demonstrating continued adherence to
these standards. As APCO’s recognition process has evolved, from Project 33 to
the Agency Training Program Certification and now the Agency Training Program
Accreditation, Valley Communications Center remains committed to excellence and
will be seeking accreditation in the spring of 2026.
Washington State Telecommunicator Certification
The curricula for both Call Receiver and Dispatcher Academy training prepares staff to apply for certification through the Telecommunicator Program at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Equivalency testing is conducted by the Commission, and staff is required to maintain their certification by meeting minimum training requirements each year.
King County Emergency Medical Dispatch
All telecommunications staff attends King County Emergency Medical Services Criteria Based Dispatch training during the academy and receives certification for Emergency Medical Dispatch. This allows staff to identify critical medical conditions over the telephone and assure the appropriate response is initiated based on medical needs of the patient. Additional training is required annually through classroom and on-line classes.
NIMS
Telecommunicators are trained in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) through FEMA, which provides a systematic, proactive approach to guide departments and agencies at all levels of government and the private sector to work to prevent, protect against, and respond to incidents in order to reduce the loss of life and property and harm to the environment.
NCMEC
In 2011 Valley Communications was recognized as a National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) 9-1-1 Call Center Partner. This required a demonstration of the Agency's commitment through adoption of best practices in policies and procedures in addition to thorough training of all staff. By completing the partner program, Valley Com has created a child-centered 9-1-1 system based on the belief that there is nothing more important to our community than protecting children. For additional information visit www.missingkids.com.