(Lawrenceville, Georgia)  – The Gwinnett County Police Department is proud to announce the national accreditation of the Gwinnett County Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Gwinnett County OEM is the first county agency in the state of Georgia to achieve this prestigious honor.

To achieve accreditation, applicants must demonstrate through self-assessment, documentation and peer assessed verification that its program meets the Emergency Management Accreditation Program’s (EMAP) Emergency Management Standard. Accreditation requires full compliance with all 64 standards. Emergency management programs use this accreditation to prove the capabilities of their disaster preparedness and response systems. Accreditation is valid for five years.

“Accreditation recognizes the ability of programs to bring together personnel, resources, and communications from a variety of agencies and organizations in preparation for and in response to a disaster of any type. We applaud Gwinnett County’s leadership and congratulate you on your commitment to achieve accreditation. More importantly, we recognize the dedication to the safety and security of the residents that it represents,” said EMAP Commission Chairperson Nicholas Crossley.

The EMAP standards help revolutionize emergency management programs that coordinate preparedness and response activities for disasters.  The standards have also provided a framework to improve service delivery to the residents and visitors of Gwinnett County.

Gwinnett County OEM support two of the county’s priorities of Smart and Sustainable Government and Safe and Healthy Communities. “The EMAP measurable standards of excellence help us to continue to build a safer and more disaster resistant community.” said Gwinnett County OEM Director Greg Swanson.

EMAP is an independent non-profit organization governed by a 12-member commission. It was formed in 2002 and is recognized by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) as a Standard Developing Organization. Accredited programs include federal, state, and local governments, tribal nations, and institutes of higher education.