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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State has achieved full accreditation from the National Emergency Management Accreditation Program. This marks the third time since 2004 that New York has successfully achieved accreditation for its emergency management programs and surpassed standards set by the nationally-recognized program. EMAP accreditation is valid for five years. New York will continue to exceed national standards and further build its emergency management systems as it prepares for the next review.

"During an emergency, it's critical that state and local response teams work hand in glove to protect New Yorkers and our state's assets," Cuomo said. "This accreditation is a result of the extensive training and vast preparedness events our agencies have undertaken over the last decade, and I congratulate our emergency management professionals on this well-earned achievement."

The accreditation process examines elements of personnel, resources and communications from a variety of agencies and organizations responsible for preparing for and responding to disasters. In order to achieve accreditation, 64 national standards must be met, which are evaluated by onsite peer reviews conducted by teams of trained assessors from EMAP. Topic areas covered in the review include hazard identification and risk assessment, operational planning and procedures, incident management, mutual aid and logistics, communications and warning, training and exercises, evaluations and corrective actions, facilities and emergency public information.

New York Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Patrick A. Murphy said, "New York has developed one of the nation's strongest emergency response postures. While we can't predict when the next disaster will occur, we are using thoughtful and innovative approaches to ensure we are always ready to respond, no matter the emergency. We are proud to have once again achieved this accreditation and look forward to continuing to create a safer and more secure New York."

New York's threat landscape is one of the most unique and challenging in the United States, making it critical the state maintains a strong and effective emergency management posture. Not only does New York City's population and critical role in the nation's economy make it a top target for terrorists, but due to the state's geographic positioning, New Yorkers routinely face a multitude natural threats such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. In fact, since 1954, New York has received 97 federal emergency and disaster declarations, one of the nation's top totals.

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