Honor recognizes the work, preparation, and planning accomplished by staff
Hillsborough County, Fla. (July 21, 2026) - The Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Office of Emergency Management recently received accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program Commission, recognizing the division for its preparedness, coordination, and commitment to continuous improvement.
The Emergency Management Accreditation Program Commission honored Hillsborough County's Office of Emergency Management this month for achieving accreditation by documenting compliance with 73 industry-recognized standards and successfully completing a peer-review on-site assessment by a team of Emergency Management Accreditation Program-trained assessors.
Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management was evaluated on a number of procedures, planning, and policies, including incident management, resource management, hazard mitigation, training, facilities, coordination, and communications and warning.
The Emergency Management Accreditation Program Commission congratulatory letter to Hillsborough County states: "Accreditation recognizes a program's ability to bring together personnel, resources, and communications from a variety of agencies and organizations in preparation for and in response to any type of disaster. We applaud Hillsborough County's leadership and congratulate you on your commitment to achieving accreditation. More importantly, we recognize the dedication to the safety and security of the residents that it represents."
The Office of Emergency Management is a division within Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.
Emergency Management Accreditation Program accreditation is a high honor awarded to emergency management programs and urban search and rescue task forces that demonstrate compliance with the Emergency Management Standard, certified by the American National Standards Institute. This achievement complies with the Emergency Management Accreditation Program's mission to build safer communities through credible standards of excellence.
Accreditation is achieved by a comprehensive evaluation process that includes self-assessment, documentation, and peer review to confirm the program's alignment with the Emergency Management Standard, according to the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. The Standard serves as a tool for those seeking to enhance their disaster preparedness and response systems. Accreditation is valid for five years. Programs must maintain compliance and undergo reassessments to retain their accredited status.
Emergency Management Accreditation Program is the sole accreditation process for emergency management programs and urban search and rescue task forces.