BOSTON – Massachusetts is the eighth state to be accredited by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP). The program is a voluntary national accreditation process based on NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Continuity Programs.
In January 1991, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards Council established the Disaster Management Committee to develop a standard relating to preparedness and response to recovery from disasters. This was the beginning of NFPA 1600. The standard established a common set of criteria for disaster management, emergency management, and business continuity programs.
“Catastrophic events in recent years have reinforced the importance of preparedness and highlighted issues related to emergency management,” said James M. Shannon, president and CEO of NFPA. “Disasters and emergencies, whether they occur naturally or by human design have the potential of endangering lives and this is a concern for everyone. NFPA 1600 provides a common set of criteria that is an extremely valuable resource for those charged with preparing for and responding to disasters and other emergencies.”
NFPA 1600 provides the entity responsible for disaster and emergency management with the criteria needed to assess current programs; develop, implement and maintain programs; and mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies.
State, territorial and local government programs earn EMAP accreditation by ensuring that their disaster preparedness and response systems meet national standards. The process involves assessment of emergency management programs in 15 areas including: planning; resource management; training; exercises, evaluations and corrective actions; and communications and warning.
Massachusetts has joined seven states that are EMAP accredited including, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, North Dakota, Montana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, along with the District of Columbia.
For additional information, visit NFPA’s Web site at www.nfpa.org.
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NFPA press release
