Georgetown, Del., April 24, 2012: Callers to Sussex County’s 911 center can take comfort in a crisis because the voice on the other end of the line is from one of the best dispatch centers in the world, according to a new accreditation from a national association.

The non-profit National Academies of Emergency Dispatch recently awarded the Sussex County 911 center re-accreditation as an emergency medical dispatch “center of excellence”. The award is the fourth for the County since its initial accreditation in 2001.

Winning the award requires voluntary self analysis and compliance with industry standards, including the Medical Priority Dispatch System, a protocol for assessing medical emergencies and dispatching the appropriate response. As part of the re-accreditation process, the center had to meet the NAED’s “20 Points of Excellence”, which examines everything from questions dispatchers ask, and in what order, to continuing training and the center’s design.

“This is a source of tremendous pride for the staff and for me,” said Joseph L. Thomas, director of the County 911 center. “It says that not only are we maintaining a high level of service for the citizens of Sussex County, but that we are among the best in the world. That’s very gratifying.”

In 2011, the center handled a total of 105,356 medical, police, and fire calls, a 25 percent increase from 2004. More than 20,000 of those calls involved medical dispatches. The Sussex County 911 center will be formally recognized for its accomplishments at the Navigators conference later this year in Baltimore.

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