Acadian Ambulance Service of Texas, LLC, has successfully reaccredited as an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). The communication center is one of 200 emergency dispatch centers worldwide to attain IAED status as an ACE for its use of the Medical Priority Dispatch System™ (MPDS). This distinction places it among the very highest-performing emergency dispatch agencies on the planet.
ACE inspires agencies to perform superior, up-to-date public care and to employ efficient use of resources when handling all emergency call situations. An accreditation lasts three years. In order to achieve accreditation, agencies must meet or exceed the same standards required in the initial accreditation, which requires participation from everyone in the department. Because ACE agencies abide by these standards and have fulfilled these requirements, callers can have peace of mind knowing their needs will always be appropriately addressed and that they will receive the help they need.
This is Acadian Ambulance’s second ACE accreditation using the MPDS. It is the one of two emergency dispatch centers in Austin to be designated as an ACE.
Acadian Communications Operations Manager David Lopez spearheaded the agency’s ACE process. He credits the achievement to the dedication and hard work of all the dispatchers at the facility.
“The day we received the call that we were reaccredited was a proud and very relieving day,” he said. “In the face of everything our team has been through, from a pandemic to an ice storm and multiple hurricane responses, they still remained professional and dedicated to their craft. For that reason, they were able to maintain their performance to the very high standards of accreditation.”
Lopez said being an ACE agency isn’t only significant for the employees, but that it should give the residents throughout Texas that Acadian Ambulance serves peace of mind in knowing that when they call for emergency help, highly qualified professionals will give them the best care possible.
“Most people do not know we are an ACE center,” he said. “What it should mean is that they are talking to the best of the best. They are talking to someone that has the knowledge and dedication to give their loved ones the absolute best care until responders arrive on scene.”
Founded in 1971, Acadian Ambulance provides emergency and non-emergency medical transportation to 35 Texas counties and the Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio metro areas. The company is owned by its employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan and is one of 11 agencies in Texas accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services.
