IEM’s knowledgeable subject-matter experts have helped numerous counties, cities, and states pursue the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) credential or reaccreditation, including the State of Illinois and the Orlando International Airport, the first airport in the world to achieve this prestigious designation.  

IEM recently assisted a client in progressing from a conditional accreditation status, having met 19 standards, to resolving those deficiencies and achieving full reaccreditation, utilizing a methodical and comprehensive approach. The client achieved compliance with all 66 standards. 

IEM’s EMAP Expertise 

The former chair of the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association’s EMAP Working Group, Angela Moreno, is a member of our team. With 11 years of experience with the standards, familiarity with the program requirements, and outside-the-box critical thinking skills, she has assisted many organizations in obtaining accreditation. Ms. Moreno supported 16 jurisdictions’ accreditation or reaccreditation and served as an assessor for two communities. Ms. Moreno also supported accreditation for a city, county, university, and airport within the same metropolitan area.  

Team member, Bruce Lockwood, has been an EMAP assessor since 2006. He served on several EMAP assessment teams and the EMAP Technical Committee from 2014 to 2017. The EMAP Technical Committee is responsible for developing new or revised language for the standards and the process, reviews, appeals, interpretations, compliance enforcement, on-site assessment materials, training, self-assessment guidance, and other training and education activities. In 2015-2016, as Chair of the Capitol Region Emergency Planning Council in Connecticut, Mr. Lockwood worked with EMAP to pilot a regional program review of the Council. The Council was the first regional program to receive EMAP conditional accreditation in its history.  

Team member, Rich Mortimer, is the former EMAP accreditation manager for the Commonwealth of Virginia and has supported accreditation for six jurisdictions. He served on the EMAP Business Consultant Initiative Focus Group and the EMAP Standards Subcommittee, which reviewed input from the community for EMAP standards modifications and made resulting recommendations to the EMAP Commission. 

In 2009, IEM Senior Executive Advisor, Elizabeth Zimmerman, received the Eric Tolbert Distinguished Service Award. This award, in honor of the former North Carolina State Emergency Management Director and “founder” of EMAP, is given to a recipient who has supported EMAP by assisting on assessments, participating on committees, coordinating with emergency management programs, or serving on the EMAP Commission.  

During his tenure as the State of Illinois’ Emergency Management Director and Homeland Security Advisor, IEM’s Director of Big City Emergency Management, Andrew Velasquez III, served in key leadership roles for EMAP Commission from January 2008 to January 2010. He served as an EMAP Commissioner, EMAP Vice-Chair, and ultimately the Commission Chair. As Chair, he directed all activities associated with evaluating, improving, and delivering emergency management and urban search & rescue (US&R) services to the public through the Accreditation of Emergency Management Programs and the Certification of US&R Resources.  

Our team is proficient with the 2019 and 2022 EMAP standards, as programs have been reaccredited under both versions, depending on their five-year renewal timeline. IEM’s President and CEO, Bryan Koon, was also an EMAP Commission Board member, and our EMAP team is reviewing EMAP’s strategic planning document through 2027. 

EMAP Business Consultant 

IEM is proud to be a EMAP Business Consultant. Our commitment to excellence is further demonstrated by the numerous staff members who have completed EMAP’s Business Initiative training. This rigorous program has equipped our team with a comprehensive understanding of the Emergency Management Standard, enabling them to apply these principles effectively across various projects and plans. The training emphasizes the cascading nature of these standards and the critical role of a robust emergency management program, ensuring our employees deliver unparalleled expertise and leadership in every initiative. 

We will work with your team to streamline processes, address inconsistencies, and ensure that appropriate documentation exists to meet each standard. Our EMAP experts will: 

• Review emergency management program-related plans, policies, procedures, and other documentation attuned to EMAP standards
• Develop a customized system to track compliance with EMAP standards
• Review annual reports, communications, and other documents for EMAP compliance criteria
• Assist emergency management and stakeholder staff with preparation for assessor on-site visits
• Virtually attend EMAP planning meetings
• Advise and document recommended modifications for potential paths to accreditation/reaccreditation success
• Provide subject matter expertise regarding changes in EMAP standards
• Provide weekly reporting of standards compliance via Power BI
• Identify best practices and opportunities for enhancement to facilitate successful reaccreditation