The Durham 911 center was recently awarded a rare honor for it's in-house training.
The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International, Inc. awarded the center its Project 33 Certification.
Only eight other 911 centers in the world have this distinction.
"This accreditation ensures that our Durham 911 personnel are trained to the highest standards and principles of best practice, while providing the best customer service possible to the people of Durham," Jim Soukup, Durham 911 director, said in a written statement.
Durham 911 is currently in the process of being accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The center was re-accredited as an Emergency Medical Dispatch Center of Excellence, the highest distinction awarded by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, in 2008.
Having all three accreditations is rare, Soukup said in a recent story about the CALEA process.
Durham 911, with 81 employees, handles about 800 emergency calls a day. Its communication officers, 61 total, also answer about 10,000 non-emergency calls a month.
Stanley B. Chambers Jr. covers Durham Public Schools and other K-12 education issues in Durham. He can be reached at