The Blount County Communications Center complied with 218 standards and has received the highly-honored accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA).

A team of assessors visited the facility in April and had nothing but great things to say about the operation at the time. On Saturday, the communications center received the formal recognition at a CALEA conference in Hampton, Va.

William R. Brewer, chairman of the Blount County Communications E-911 Board of Directors, said the accreditation proved one thing in particular: “That we have one of the best communications centers in the state.”

Brewer said Blount County is now one of four communications centers in the state that has met the standards from the international group. The others are in Knox County, Davidson County and Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.

Brewer, who has been on the board since it was established in 1988, said he has “known for a long time that we have the best” dispatchers. He said the board of directors has tried to give them the best equipment to do their best in serving emergency services and the community.

Jeff Caylor, director of the Blount County Communications Center, said getting the accreditation “took a lot of work” but said “it’s worthwhile.” Occurring during a time when the center was planning a move, Caylor said they had a lot to do to get ready for the process. Pam Malone, accreditation manager, was in charge of the duty.

Along with the assistance of management, supervisors and dispatchers — the hard work paid off, Caylor said.

Brewer and Caylor said local law enforcement agencies who have received CALEA accreditation have also helped the communications center prepare. Brewer said the center had already tailored its record process to match the processes of those agencies.

Caylor said the assessment team looked at every aspect of the communications center, including policies and procedures, management, operations and support services. “They were impressed with the overall operations,” Caylor said of the April visit. “They put in the report that were also very impressed with the professionalism of the dispatchers.”

Brewer said that the people who work at the Blount County Communications Center “are the greatest asset.” He said he hopes the local emergency services agencies realize the “exceptional people” that assist them through dispatch.

Caylor said the CALEA team only found three or four standards that needed to be revamped or created, and three or four that needed a few tweaks. He said the team told him that was low and they sometimes find 30 to 40 standards that need work.

And now, “the real challenges come,” Caylor said. Over the next three years, Caylor said the 9-1-1 center must keep up the standards and show proof to CALEA assessors when they return in three years.

“We have the challenge to live up to the standards that we’ve now been acknowledged to have,” Brewer said.