The El Paso Fire Department is celebrating a major honor, one that places our city’s emergency services on the world stage. The department’s Communications Division has officially been named an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) in fire dispatching by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED), the gold standard for emergency communication centers worldwide.
This distinction is no small feat. El Paso now joins a select group as only the 65th Fire ACE in the entire world. The ACE accreditation is the highest recognition given to emergency communication centers, awarded only to those who consistently demonstrate top-tier performance, strong oversight, and a data-driven commitment to improvement.
For the men and women behind the phones, this recognition highlights their extraordinary dedication. Every call taker, dispatcher, and support staff member works around the clock to ensure El Pasoans get the fastest and most effective help possible when emergencies strike. As Communications Division Manager Leonella Delfin explained, this recognition is about more than a title. It is proof that the team holds themselves accountable and strives every day to give the community the best standard of care.
The accreditation is valid for three years, but maintaining it is no easy task. The Communications Division must continue meeting IAED’s rigorous standards day in and day out. It is a challenge they have embraced, knowing that the residents of El Paso deserve nothing less than excellence.
More than 3,500 emergency communication centers across 46 countries currently use IAED’s protocols, but only a fraction have reached ACE status. That means El Paso’s fire dispatchers are now recognized as a global model of what emergency communication should look like.
This honor is a point of pride not just for the Fire Department, but for the entire city. When the people of El Paso dial 911, they can be confident that they are reaching one of the very best communications divisions in the world, a team that has proven its commitment to saving lives with precision, care, and excellence.
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