Idaho State University accredited by Emergency Management Accreditation Program

Idaho State University has become the second university in the nation to receive accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP).

“This accreditation validates that Idaho State University is prepared to handle any emergency,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Carol Prescott.

To achieve accreditation, emergency management programs document compliance with a set of industry recognized standards for disaster preparedness and response systems, and undergo a peer-review assessment by EMAP trained assessors, according to EMAP officials. The accreditation process evaluates emergency management programs in 16 areas, including planning, resource management, training, evaluations, communications and warning, and emergency exercises. EMAP is the only emergency management accreditation program in the nation.

To become accredited, ISU officials created mitigation plans to reduce risks and hazards and conducted extensive emergency training, including annual training exercises simulating situations such as earthquakes or hazardous waste spills. Officials also created plans for areas throughout campus for recovery in case of an emergency, to ensure the vital services would be maintained.

“Carol and her team in Public Safety and across the campus did an exceptional job ensuring ISU’s programs are not only compliant with the standards, but are truly executable in the event of an emergency,” said Associate Vice President Phil Moessner.

Along with ISU, Virginia Tech University was recently accredited. Other agencies accredited this year include the State of Connecticut, The British Virgin Islands, Saint Charles Parish, Louisiana, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Montgomery County, Maryland, the USACE Kansas City District, the USACE Seattle District and Dixie County, Florida.