Governor Hochul Congratulates Chemung County on Achieving State Emergency Management Accreditation

November 11, 2021

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the Chemung County Office of Fire and Emergency Management has received accreditation through New York's Local Emergency Management Accreditation Program.

Chemung County joins 13 other emergency management organizations in receiving achieve accreditation. The county joins Albany, Broome, Erie, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Nassau, Oneida, Saratoga, Washington, and Wayne counties, as well as New York City, in this formal recognition

"It's clear how critical local emergency management is for our state's resilience as we continue to experience example after example of extreme weather, and Chemung County's accreditation is a necessary step that all of our Counties should take," said Governor Hochul.

"I congratulate Chemung County and encourage more counties throughout New York State to take part in the accreditation process to evaluate and enhance the overall proficiency of their emergency preparation, making sure New Yorkers are ready for a variety of emergencies."

New York's Local Emergency Management Accreditation Program is the nation's first accreditation at the state level for local emergency management agencies. Developed in partnership with the New York State Emergency Management Association, the accreditation program highlights and promotes local emergency management agencies in New York State.

In order to become accredited, a locality must meet a series of standards and best practices that promote a coordinated and integrated approach to emergency management. Counties must also engage "whole community" stakeholders, including government and private partners, and consider those who may require specific attention during an emergency or disaster such as the homeless, the elderly, or disabled individuals.

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) administers the program on behalf of the Local Emergency Management Accreditation Council, which serves as the governing body for the program. Accreditation is valid for five years, with an opportunity to obtain reaccreditation after the five-year period.

State Division Homeland Security and Emergency Services Executive Deputy Commissioner Terence J. O'Leary said, "I congratulate the Chemung County Office of Fire and Emergency Management team on achieving accreditation, placing them in a select group of statewide teams that have demonstrated their ability to address any type of emergency and protect our fellow New Yorkers. Achieving this accreditation is no easy task. In doing so, it shows that Chemung County has implemented standards and best practices that puts its staff in a better position to meet today's challenging emergency situations."

To read more about this story, you can visit Governor Hochul Congratulates Chemung County on Achieving State Emergency Management Accreditation.

New York Pressroom

November 9, 2021