Community Watch in The Villages is celebrating a major accomplishment after earning statewide accreditation recognition.
Last month, Assistant District Manager Carrie Duckett, Chief Nehemiah Wolfe, Assistant Director Juliane Day and Lead Dispatcher Accreditation Manager Deb Ballard stood before the Florida Telecommunications Accreditation Commission. After an oral review of their report was delivered, the commission voted unanimously to extend accreditation status to The Village Community Development District Community Watch Dispatch Center.
The long process began in 2019, when Assistant Director of Community Watch Juliane Day contacted the Florida Telecommunications Accreditation Commission to inquire about obtaining accreditation status for the Community Watch dispatch center.
As the dispatch center for Community Watch is not a Public Safety Answering Point, a preliminary on-site inspection was required prior to allowing permission into the process. FLA-TAC Commissioner Lisa Cahill and Assessor Quanda English inspected the operations and functions of the Community Watch Dispatch Center and determined that it met the requirements. Of the 110 standards, Community Watch was required to meet 100 percent of all of the applicable standards.
In April 2019, Community Watch entered into a contract agreement with the intention of a full inspection within two years. Soon after, the process of updating procedures and protocols to meet the standards commenced, including state required training for the Dispatch Center staff.
On March 2, 2021, two assessors arrived at Community Watch for a two-day evaluation. The assessors reviewed all procedures and received supporting documentation to prove compliance with all training standards. The assessors then interviewed approximately 80 percent of the Community Watch Dispatch staff.
“We held you at a higher standard because you are the first and we knew we were setting precedence. You definitely rose to the challenge,” said Commissioner Cahill.