Ambulance authority earns re-accreditation

FAYETTEVILLE — The Washington County Regional Ambulance Authority recently was re-accredited in international standards for emergency medical dispatch service, said Steve Harrison, assistant chief at Central EMS.

The authority’s communications center is the only one in the state with International Academies of Emergency Dispatch Accreditation for Emergency Medical Dispatch Center, according to a news release.

The ambulance service covers 920 square miles in Washington County, according to the service’s website.

The communications center originally was accredited in 2007 and has been re-accredited every three years since, Harrison said.

The training means dispatchers are able to help callers before ambulances arrive and help categorize what kind of emergency response is needed, he said. The center has 16 full- and part-time dispatchers.

The voluntary accreditation is through the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch and is for centers that meet high standards of patient care, according to the organization’s website. The designation requires centers to follow a self-study outline and have an on-site evaluation.

The center next plans to seek emergency fire dispatch accreditation by the end of the year, Harrison said.