Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management Achieves Emergency Management Accreditation

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Contacts:
Christopher Harris, (216) 443-7157


Cleveland, OH The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management (CCOEM) has become the first county Emergency Management Agency (EMA) in Ohio, and the 26th local EMA in the nation, to achieve accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP).

“Accreditation demonstrates that Cuyahoga County continues to make public safety a priority," said George Taylor, Cuyahoga County Director of Public Safety and Justice Services.  "The Office of Emergency Management has devoted significant time and energy to ensuring that public safety agencies throughout the county are prepared for disaster or emergency. We are proud to be the first county-level emergency management agency in Ohio to be accredited."

The two-year process required the Office of Emergency Management to comply fully with 64 separate performance standards that cover all aspects of emergency management including planning, training, communications, operations and administration.  The capstone of the process was a week-long assessment visit by a team of EMAP assessors who painstakingly evaluated all aspects of the county's emergency management program.

“Having gone through the EMAP accreditation process here at Ohio EMA, we recognize the significant effort it takes, as well as the tremendous benefits of going through this process,”said Sima Merick, Executive Director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. This is a fantastic accomplishment and a testament to the work Cuyahoga County’s emergency managers do each and every day.

Barb Graff, Director of the Seattle Office of Emergency Management and Chair of the EMAP Commission, added that accreditation demonstrates a community's "commitment and desire to prove to their communities that their safety is the priority."

Accreditation is valid for five years. CCOEM must maintain compliance with EMAP standards and be reassessed in 2020 to maintain accredited status.

The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management’s mission is to protect lives, property, the environment, and the economy.  For additional information, contact us at 216-443-5700 or online at http://ja.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/emergency-management.aspx 


  
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