Manatee County 911 Center Maintains Elite Global Accreditation for Ninth Consecutive Year
County answers 97.5% of 911 calls in under 10 seconds, exceeding the national 15-second standard
Manatee County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) has successfully completed its latest reaccreditation by The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch ® (IAED TM), earning Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) status for emergency dispatching and maintaining its Tri-ACE accreditation for the ninth consecutive year.
When Manatee County first achieved Tri-ACE accreditation in 2017, it became the 13th emergency communications center in the world to earn the designation. Since then, the center has continued to meet the standards required to maintain an ACE status in emergency police, fire, and medical dispatch.
“Our telecommunicators are the first voice someone hears during an emergency, providing reassurance, critical instructions, and connecting them with the help they need,” said District 2 Commissioner Amanda Ballard.
For residents and visitors, the accreditation means their call is handled using internationally recognized, evidence-based protocols designed to provide consistent service. Telecommunicators gather critical information, determine the appropriate response and, when needed, provide instructions to help callers before emergency responders arrive.
The center’s performance is continually reviewed. Each month, Manatee County Emergency Communications reviews a minimum of 238 randomly selected calls across its police, fire, and medical dispatch operations.
During these reviews, telecommunicators are evaluated on whether they:
- Identify the emergency and ask the right questions to understand what is happening.
- Determine the appropriate response based on the information provided by the caller.
- Provide instructions before responders arrive, such as CPR or bleeding-control instructions when appropriate.
- Provide safety instructions to help protect the caller, patient, or others at the scene.
- Follow established emergency dispatch protocols in the correct sequence.
- Effectively manage the caller throughout the call.
The results are used to provide telecommunicators with feedback and identify opportunities for additional training and improvement.
“Our telecommunicators carry an incredible responsibility every time they answer a 911 call,” said Emergency Communications Center Chief Mark Jones. “The accreditation recognizes the expertise they bring to their work and the rigorous standards they strive to meet on every call.”
Manatee County Emergency Communications answers approximately 800 emergency calls every 24 hours. Behind every call is a telecommunicator trained to listen, assess the situation and help connect people with the resources they need.
For more information about Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ManateeGov.