Washington University in St. Louis’ Emergency Management Department has been awarded full accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP), making it just the eighth university in the country to achieve this accomplishment.
EMAP measures emergency management programs based on a set of certified standards. The Emergency Management Department met all 64 standards, making the program 100% compliant and eligible for accreditation.
“The EMAP set of standards is the blueprint for what emergency management should look like,” said Ty Davisson, director of emergency management and business continuity.
Henry S. Webber, executive vice chancellor for civic affairs and strategic planning, said the recognition is a testament to hard work by people and programs across the university.
“This accreditation confirms what we have known for a few years now — we are very fortunate to have a top-notch emergency management program at Washington University,” Webber said. “That program is the result of tireless leadership from our Emergency Management Department and their deep collaboration with campus partners to meet the recommended standards for emergency preparedness, response and recovery to create a unified approach and strengthen our response as a university.”
As part of the process, the Emergency Management Department completed a self-assessment and a weeklong site visit by EMAP before receiving the accreditation. The accreditation goes beyond Emergency Management and extends to the university as a whole.
“It is a universitywide accreditation as it encompasses five years of planning preparedness of several departments on campus, from Facilities to Human Resources to IT to police and many others,” Davisson said. “This effort caused us to work really closely with all of our campus partners and build a climate of coordination, cooperation and trust.”
The Emergency Management Department seeks to be the standard of excellence for emergency preparedness and response at the university. Learn more about Emergency Management and EMAP.
