The award was presented by the IAED at a reception in Washington, D.C. According to the IAED, with this accreditation, PCSO has the distinguished honor of becoming the 32nd Emergency Fire Dispatch Accredited Center in the world. The PCSO was also named an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) during the accreditation process. An ACE is the highest distinction in 9-1-1 emergency communication services.    

The IAED is a non-profit organization that promotes safe and effective emergency dispatch services worldwide. They awarded PCSO the accreditation for demonstrating compliance to the Fire Priority Dispatch System and associated "20 Points of Excellence" which encompass international practice standards of excellence for Emergency Fire Dispatch.  

The Polk County Sheriff's Office has had a longtime commitment to professional accreditation dating back to 1994, when the PCSO was first accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), for its law enforcement operations. PCSO has a total of 38 accreditations and re-accreditations since 1994. Out of 17,985 law enforcement agencies in the United States, the PCSO is the only agency to have received three "Accreditation with Excellence" awards from CALEA.   

Accreditation is a voluntary process that invites independent accrediting bodies to inspect and review agency policies and practices to determine if the agency is following state and national standards and best practices. Accreditation is a highly valued recognition for any law enforcement agency.  

The previous accreditations awarded to and currently held by the Polk County Sheriff's Office are: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA); Public Safety Communications Accreditation (PCSA); Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA); Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission (FCAC); National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP); National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC)*; Public Safety Training Academy Accreditation (PSTAA)*; National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch (NAEMD); and Florida Police Accreditation Coalition (FLA-PAC).  

"We continue to open our agency to scrutiny from outside independent organizations whose job it is to make sure we are adhering to best practices in a wide range of areas, from law enforcement and detention operations to purchasing, training, and medical services. We believe in transparency, innovation, and professional development so that we not only stay up with the latest best practices, but that we are ahead of the curve & leading the way among law enforcement agencies. I am so proud of the men and women in this agency who constantly and consistently go above and beyond to achieve excellence every day." - Sheriff Grady Judd 

*accreditation based on PCSO contract for services