The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta received accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program.
Accreditation requires a program to complete the six step EMAP process, including a self-assessment, an on-site appraisal and a committee review.
The on-site assessment and follow-up report includes a summary of compliance against 64 EMAP standards including: program management; administration and finance; laws and authorities; operational planning; exercises, evaluations and corrective action; and crisis communication, public education and information.
"CDC's emergency management program has seen the nation through flu emergencies, multi-state foodborne outbreaks, hurricanes and more," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a statement.
Since 1997, EMAP's independent assessors and program review committee evaluates local, state and national emergency management programs to ensure they meet nationally set standards for emergency management and promote consistent quality of in emergency management programs.
"Accreditation is a serious accomplishment for CDC and the emergency management community we support," said Dr. Ali S. Khan, director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.
"Preparing for and responding to emergencies of any kind -- natural disasters, bioterrorism events, chemical terrorism or pandemics -- is a core function of public health. Everyone at CDC has a hand, at one point in time, in emergency management and execution."
