UA Earns Emergency Management Accreditation

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Emergency Management Accreditation Program has awarded The University of Alabama accreditation for its emergency preparedness and response activities.

The designation is the only accreditation process for emergency management programs and is sought by federal and state agencies, counties, cities and universities.

According to the EMAP standards, EMAP “fosters excellence and accountability in emergency management and homeland security programs by establishing credible standards applied in a peer review assessment and accreditation process.”

“Emergency management accreditation represents a significant achievement,” wrote Barb Graff, chairperson of the EMAP Commission, in a letter notifying UA of the designation. “The University of Alabama is commended for the work accomplished to achieve compliance with industry standards.”

“Many areas of campus, as well as external agencies, contributed to UA meeting the 64 standards necessary to achieve this status,” said Dr. Donald Keith, UA director of emergency preparedness. “We are only the third university in the country to receive EMAP accreditation, and the steps taken in obtaining it affirm that safety is a priority on this campus.”

To achieve accreditation, applicants must demonstrate, through self-assessment, documentation and peer assessment validation, that its program meets industry-recognized standards, according to EMAP’s website.

The standards address the various emergency preparedness mission areas: prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery. EMAP also evaluated UA’s plans and procedures, resources and facilities to ensure those met national standards.

Accreditation is valid for five years, and the program must maintain compliance with EMAP standards. It is reassessed to maintain accredited status. For more information, see http://emap.org/.