Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management meets the standards of a nationally recognized peer-review organization that tracks compliance with industry standards.
Successful completion of work required by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) means the department is one of roughly 30 county-level agencies across the U.S. to have demonstrated excellence and accountability in emergency management. Accreditation followed a rigorous peer-reviewed process.
The department began seeking EMAP accreditation in 2019 and pursued that work through 2020 and 2021, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and other federally declared disasters. It achieved conditional accreditation in July 2021 and was granted full accreditation on Jan. 26, 2023.
Agencies that obtain accredited status “have joined the elite leaders in emergency management,” EMAP Commission Chair Angee Morgan said.
The department was required to demonstrate and document compliance with more than 60 emergency management standards, as well as pass peer review by a team of EMAP-trained assessors.
Accreditation means EMAP recognizes Snohomish County’s ability to bring together personnel and resources from a variety of agencies and organizations to address any hazard.
Accreditation is valid for five years. The only other nearby emergency management programs to attain EMAP accreditation are those operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State of Washington, King and Pierce counties, and the City of Seattle.