Accreditation

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The Local Emergency Management Accreditation Program is a voluntary program that provides local emergency management offices in New York State a mechanism to evaluate and enhance the overall proficiency of their agency. Accreditation is a formal recognition that an office's policies and practices meet or exceed standards in all primary aspects of emergency management, to include preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. It is expected that emergency management offices seeking accreditation will have an inclusive approach to emergency management, making efforts to engage "Whole Community" stakeholders, including government and non-government partners, and by considering the needs of those that may require specific considerations (e.g., the disabled, the elderly, etc.) during an emergency or disaster

This Program also represents the strong collaboration and continued partnership between the New York State Emergency Management Association (NYSEMA) and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). NYSEMA and DHSES have worked cooperatively to develop this program with guidance and input from the emergency management community in New York State.

Accreditation Standards

To become accredited, Emergency Management Offices must meet a variety of emergency management standards. The standards were developed by the Standards Workgroup of State and local emergency management professionals appointed by the Accreditation Council. The standards were developed based on a combination of factors, to include the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) standards, relevant State laws (e.g., Article 2B of NYS Executive Law), and emergency management best practices.

Eligibility

Emergency Management Offices at any jurisdictional level in New York State (County, City, Town, and Village) may seek accreditation, if they can meet the standards. For the purposes of this program, the Emergency Management Office (EMO) refers to the agency, office, or entity that has been formally recognized and granted the power and authority to administer the Emergency Management Program on behalf of the jurisdiction, to include but not limited to the coordination of emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts. It is recognized that in some cases the EMO may be part of a larger public safety agency; however, for that agency to receive accreditation, they must meet all of the Program standards.

For more information, please visit the full Accreditation website.

Accredited Jurisdictions

New York State Local Emergency Management Accreditation Council has certified the following jurisdictions as being accredited:

  • Oneida County (2017)
  • Livingston County (2018)
  • Broome County (2018)
  • New York City (2018)
  • Montgomery County (2018)
  • Albany County (2019)
  • Madison County (2019)
  • Wayne County (2019)
  • Erie County (2019)