Lincoln, Neb. —State officials were notified Wednesday that the Nebraska emergency management program has earned full accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP). This is the second consecutive time the state has earned this honor. Nebraska first earned accreditation in 2009.

Earning emergency management accreditation represents a significant achievement for the State of Nebraska, Gov. Pete Ricketts said.

“This is a public validation of the entire state’s preparedness effort,” said Ricketts. “By maintaining accredited status, we show adherence to industry-recognized standards. It shows that disaster preparedness and response is a high priority here in Nebraska.”

EMAP is a voluntary accreditation process for state, territorial and local government programs that coordinate preparedness and response activities for disasters, from tornadoes to terrorist acts. It recognizes the ability of a state or local government to bring together personnel, resources and communications capabilities from a variety of agencies and organizations in preparation for and in response to an emergency. EMAP is the only accreditation process for state and local emergency management preparedness.

EMAP 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. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) met all 64 standards for accreditation which is valid for five years.  Accredited programs must maintain compliance with EMAP standards and be reassessed every five years to maintain accredited status.

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. 

“Achieving accreditation is proof of the capability that exists among our state and local first responders and emergency management personnel,” said Bryan Tuma, NEMA assistant director.  “We underwent an extensive peer-review assessment by EMAP trained assessors. This accreditation was sought and earned by NEMA on behalf of the state of Nebraska and all of the agencies and individuals who are part of our response team.”