Accreditation Integrates into Emergency Preparedness
A campus department of public safety is charged with leading any emergency response plan and must have the confidence of the administration, faculty, staff and students that it is up to the task. Earning national accreditation establishes that credential of excellence.
By integrating accreditation lessons into its emergency response plan and by reviewing that plan regularly against best practices to be sure it’s still up-to-date, AACC hopes to minimize its threats and maximize its ability to resolve any situation in a professional manner.
4 Best Practices You Should Adopt
1. Manage Your Time Wisely:
Depending on what modifications need to be made to your written directives and what renovations need to be made to your physical premises, three years will pass by very quickly and your department still might not be ready. Accomplishing accreditation in 18 months was a direct result of Chief J. Gary Lyle’s strategic planning, direction and guidance. Additionally, Maj. Cleveland Smith attended training conferences; networked with local police agencies that are accredited; and observed how their files are structured and their systems operate in compliance with the standards.
2. Conduct a Mock Assessment:
Ideally, accreditation managers and assessors from other accredited agencies conduct the mock assessment. They come t
o your site and inspect your files and facilities just like IACLEA assessors. The mock assessors provide you with feedback and constructive criticism in the areas they determine to be lacking proof of compliance. Just like using a GPS on an unfamiliar dark road, the information provided by the mock assessment is priceless.
3. Cooperate with Other Campus Departments:
The nature of accreditation requires your department of public safety be autonomous in several areas to a certain degree; however, the department is always part of the college. Accreditation standards require your department of public safety to have a press release process even though most colleges have a public information office that is charged with releasing information to the public. There must be dialog between the chief or accreditation manager and the directors of the departments who are involved.
4. Address These Issues:
Role and authority of officers, jurisdiction and mutual aid, organization and administration, direction, personnel alternatives, fiscal management, work conditions, discipline, hiring practices, training performance evaluation, patrol, investigations, crime prevention, special operations, internal affairs, public information, victim/witness assistance, traffic, communications, records, evidence collection, property/evidence control and campus public safety.
Susan Gross handles public relations and marketing for Anne Arundal Community College. She can be reached at [email protected].
Tags: risk management, training
