WESTFIELD — On Wednesday, May 7, and Thursday, May 8, the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) will examine all aspects of the Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1 Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center, to include its policies & procedures, management, operations, and support services, Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro has announced.

This on-site examination by the NJSACOP is part of the re-accreditation process for the Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1 Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center. It was awarded initial accreditation on June 16, 2022.

The Westfield Police Department operates a fully functional, stateof- the art 9-1-1 Police- Fire-EMS Communications Center, which serves as both a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) – the point of first reception of 9-1-1 calls – and a Public Safety Dispatch Point (PSDP) – a location which provides dispatch services for one (1) or more public safety agencies. The Westfield Police Department provides full dispatch services for all of the Town of Westfield’s public safety agencies – the Westfield Police Department, Westfield Fire Department, and Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad. It also serves as the after-hours point-of-contact for the Westfield Public Works Department and Westfield Regional Health Department, the latter of which provides local public health and environmental health services to eight (8) other municipalities: Chatham Borough, Fanwood, Garwood, Madison, Mountainside, New Providence, Roselle Park, and Summit.

The Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1- Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center has “direct dispatch” capabilities, which means both 9-1-1 call answering and public safety dispatching are performed by personnel assigned to the PSAP.

“Verification that the Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1 Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center meets ‘best practice’ standards is part of a voluntary process to achieve accreditation, a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence,” Chief Battiloro stated.

As part of this on-site examination, both Westfield Police Department employees and members of the general public are invited to provide comments to a NJSACOP Assessor.

They may do so either by telephone or e-mail. To provide telephone comments, Westfield Police Department employees and members of the general public may call 908-516-0894 on Thursday, May 8, 2025, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.. E-mail comments can be sent to accreditation@wpdnj.org.

Telephone comments are limited to five minutes in duration and must address the Westfield Police Department’s ability to comply with the NJSACOP’s public safety emergency communications center standards.

Anyone wishing to offer written comments about the Westfield Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for public safety emergency communications center accreditation is requested to e-mail NJSACOP Accreditation Program Director Harry Delgado, Ed.S at hdelgado@njsacop.org or write to him at the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at 751 Route 73 North, Suite 12, Marlton, NJ 08053.

The Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1 Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center must comply with NJSACOP standards in order to achieve accreditation. Chief Battiloro indicated, “accreditation results in greater accountability within the agency, reduced risk and liability exposure, stronger defense against civil lawsuits, increased community advocacy, and more confidence in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and respond to community needs.” NJSACOP Accreditation Program Director Delgado, Ed.S stated, “The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar New Jersey law enforcement agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview agency members, and visit offices and other places where compliance with the standards can be observed. Once the assessment team completes its review of the agency, they will report back to the full Law Enforcement Communications Accreditation Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be awarded accredited status.”

Public safety emergency communications center accreditation is valid for a 3-year time period, during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting to its continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

The NJSACOP, through its Law Enforcement Communications Accreditation Commission, is the legitimate authority and accreditation agency for the state of New Jersey.

For more information regarding the commission, e-mail NJSACOP Accreditation Program Director Delgado, Ed. S at hdelgado@njsacop.org or write to the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at 751 Route 73 North, Suite 12, Marlton, NJ 08053. For more information regarding public safety emergency communications center accreditation standards, please contact the Westfield Police Department’s Emergency Communications Systems & Technological Services Supervisor, Dominick Sandelli, by telephone at 908-789-6040 or by e-mail at dsandelli@wpdnj.org.