ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The States of Louisiana and Missouri renews full accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) for the second consecutive time. Accreditation represents a significant achievement proving that both emergency management programs are compliant with national standards.
The emergency management program documents how they meet national standards for their disaster preparedness and response systems. To continue in achieving accreditation, emergency management programs document compliance with a set of nationally recognized standards used in the accreditation process and undergo a peer-review assessment by trained EMAP assessors.
Accreditation is a means of demonstrating that a program meets national standards through program assessment, documentation and on-site assessment by an independent peer review team. Accreditation is valid for five years from the date the EMAP Commission grants accreditation. Accredited programs must maintain compliance with EMAP standards and be reassessed in five years to maintain accredited status.
"The accomplishment of accreditation is a proud moment for any emergency management program" said Ms. Barb Graff, vice- chairperson of the EMAP Commission and Director of Seattle, WA Emergency Management. "These two programs have proven that they can maintain the highest level of standard for their emergency management program, enhancing their own capabilities of their program and continuing to elevate their expectations of the status quo. Congratulations to all of their employees, stakeholders and citizens of their states for the pride this may give them."
EMAP is a voluntary accreditation process for emergency management programs that coordinate preparedness and response activities for disasters based on national standards. EMAP recognizes the ability of state and local governments to bring together personnel, resources and communications from a variety of agencies and organizations in preparation for and in response to an emergency, in addition to obtaining the ability to measure those capabilities. This forms the foundation of the nation's emergency preparedness system. EMAP is the only accreditation process for emergency management programs.
Working collaboratively since 1997, state, local and federal emergency managers developed EMAP to provide quality standards and a process for determining compliance. The Emergency Management Standard by EMAP creates a structure for strategic planning for improvement coupled with methodical, verified assessment by experienced peers from other jurisdictions, which results in stronger capabilities and accountability. The EMAP process evaluates emergency management programs on compliance with requirements in 16 areas, including: planning; resource management; training; exercises, evaluations, and corrective actions; and communications and warning.
SOURCE Emergency Management Accreditation Program
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http://www.emaponline.org
