First Communications Accreditation in Mexico Yields Improvements and Creates Pride

by Francisco J. Domínguez Niebla
Director of Baja California C4 Centers

The following are excerpts from the annual report of the Baja California (MX) Direccion de Centros de Control, Comando, Communicacion y Computo (C4), which has been CALEA Public Safety Communications accredited since March 2012.

Since implementing CALEA Accreditation, the agency has strengthened the following areas:

  • Operations in the application of call taking procedures.
  • Employee training through the application of APCO training, providing uniformity in every center and maintaining in-service training of radio communicators.
  • Personnel selection process.  

Director’s statement:

To take part in an accreditation process at a national level such as this, is a great experience and instills pride for all the C4 personnel who participated and maintain the process.  With the support of the Baja California State Governor, the Public Safety Secretary, Director, and Sub directors, and the coordinators of the C4 centers in the state, having the center recognized not only by its own parent agency, but also by an international commission specializing in the accreditation of public safety agencies, motivates agency personnel to improve their daily work, and put forth all efforts to provide quality service to the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Comparing the operations of C4 before and after three years of implementing and complying with CALEA Standards, management and staff can see the benefits and achievements, including improvements in equipment, policies, training, transparent procedures, and enhanced delivery of service. We also have improved the community’s perception of the center. We are following a good path, but we know that we have to continue working every day for continued improvement.

We take great pride in not only being the first emergency communications center accredited by CALEA in our country, but also the first communications accreditation outside of the United States, and to know that the quality of our services competes with communications centers in other countries.