DATE: October 24, 2016
MEDIA CONTACT: Miguel Ascarrunz, Director
Broward County Emergency Management Division
PHONE: 954-831-3900
EMAIL: mascarrunz@broward.org
BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Following a rigorous and months-long assessment, the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) has granted national accreditation to Broward County's system for disaster preparedness and response.
The achievement marks the culmination of more than a year's worth of focused effort by the Broward County Emergency Management Division, Broward County agencies, and community partner agencies represented on the Broward Emergency Response Team (BERT). The emergency preparedness and response efforts of Broward County's 31 municipalities, first responders, numerous not-for-profit agencies, volunteer groups and the business community all contributed to the EMAP accreditation, according to Broward Emergency Management officials.
Earning EMAP accreditation required Broward County to undergo an extensive assessment of compliance with requirements in 64 industry-recognized emergency management standards, including planning, resource management, training, exercises, evaluations, corrective actions, communications and administration.
"The EMAP accreditation is a testament to the entire community and all the organizations and jurisdictions that participate in Broward's emergency response efforts," said County Administrator Bertha Henry. "The EMAP assessment was a rigorous undertaking and the accreditation recognizes our community's commitment to emergency preparedness."
Broward County Emergency Management Division Director Miguel Ascarruz said, "the EMAP accreditation is further proof of the quality of the emergency management programs Broward County has developed and I'm very proud of our emergency management staff and all of our County agencies and BERT partners who come together to deliver an exemplary team response during an emergency."
Ascarrunz said EMAP certification is not only about creating emergency preparedness plans, but ensuring a community understands how to implement them when needed.
"Successful emergency response goes beyond the plans. It's really all about the partnerships," Ascarrunz said. "Are your partners really at the table? Are they committed to working in the process with you? Is it one integrated team? The accreditation demonstrates that in Broward County's case, the answer is a resounding 'yes.'"
"We applaud Broward County's leadership and congratulate you on your commitment to achieve national accreditation. More importantly, we recognize the dedication to the safety and security of the residents it represents," said Robie Robinson, EMAP Commission Chairperson.
EMAP is the nation's only accreditation process for emergency management programs. The accreditation is valid for five years.
About Emergency Management:
The Broward County Emergency Management Division develops and implements comprehensive emergency planning response, mitigation and recovery activities in order to save lives and protect property in emergencies. Technical assistance is available to develop and maintain emergency plans for all types of hazards. Free training and presentations are available to the public on request. For more information, visit our website, follow us on Twitter.com/ReadyBroward, like us on Facebook.com/BrowardEMD or call 954-831-3900.
About Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP): EMAP's mission is to build safer communities with measurable standards of excellence for emergency management programs and is the only accreditation process for emergency management programs.
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