EMS Awards and Accreditations

Comprised of three allied academies for medical, fire, and police dispatching, the IAED supports first responder-related research, unified protocol application, legislation for emergency call center regulation, and strengthening the emergency dispatch community through education, certification, and accreditation.

One of the most significant official recognitions of the academy is communications center accreditation. Accredited Centers share a common goal of improving public care and maximizing the efficiency of 911 systems. Based on a total quality management process, dispatch and communications centers can attain “Center of Excellence” designation by demonstrating superior performance in training, quality assurance and improvement processes and/or management, and very high compliance to protocol. UMC’s center achieved accreditation in January 2017, and has been reaccredited in 2026.

After a multi-year process, UMC has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS).

In order to be accredited, our EMS practices needed to exceed federal and state requirements and meet the highest standards in the industry. There are five major steps in the CAAS accreditation process, and UMC EMS received perfect scores on all elements of the review.

Step 1: Standards-Based Self-Assessment
The accreditation process begins with a comprehensive review of policies, procedures, and operational practices against the CAAS Standards. This assessment identifies strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement while establishing the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance.
Step 2: Documentation and Application Submission
Organizations compile governance, clinical, operational, safety, and administrative documentation to demonstrate compliance with CAAS Standards. Once complete, the application and supporting materials are submitted for review.
Step 3: Off-Site Review
Following submission, CAAS reviewers conduct an in-depth evaluation of the documentation to assess compliance with accreditation standards and determine readiness for the next phase. During this review, organizations may be asked to provide clarifications, updates, or additional information.
Step 4: On-Site Evaluation
CAAS evaluators visit the organization to verify that documented policies, quality improvement initiatives, and operational processes are consistently implemented in practice. The visit may include interviews, observations, and inspections of facilities, equipment, and operational systems.
Step 5: Accreditation Decision
After completing the off-site and on-site reviews, the accreditation record is forwarded to the independent CAAS Panel of Commissioners for final consideration. The panel reviews the evaluation findings and determines the organization’s accreditation status, including any recommendations or required follow-up actions.

When UMC EMS was first recognized as a CAAS accredited agency and an International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) Accredited Center of Excellence, we were 1 of 46 agencies worldwide to have both accreditations. These accreditations are a distinction that places UMC EMS among the very highest performing EMS agencies in the world.