“The accreditation process is an arduous task, requiring an extensive review of all aspects of our state's emergency response plan and program,” said Beatty. “Earning national accreditation is a tremendous achievement that confirms what we have known for some time:
The EMAP accreditation is a voluntary process for state and local government programs that coordinate preparedness and response activities for natural or man-made disasters. It affirms an agency's ability to bring together staff and resources from a variety of organizations to prepare for and respond to any given emergency, and validates that agency can provide continuous and consistent response to disasters. The EMAP process evaluates several areas including: planning, resource management, training, exercises, evaluations and corrective actions, communications and warnings. The accreditation status is valid for five years after which time the agency must be reassessed and recertified to ensure they are compliant with EMAP procedures and standards.
“I'm extremely proud of our staff and their daily hard work to prepare for and respond to all types of disasters,” said Emergency Management Director
The division began the accreditation process in June 2007 documenting procedures and gathering materials that demonstrate comprehensive coordination among state agencies and with local governments to prepare for and respond to natural or man-made disasters. The state program demonstrated compliance with 63 national standards and underwent a peer-review assessment by trained EMAP assessors earlier this summer.
North Carolina joins 19 other states and three local jurisdictions in earning accreditation status.