Kansas has obtained national accreditation for the agency that oversees the state’s preparations for emergencies and its responses to disasters.

Gov. Sam Brownback had a news conference Monday to celebrate the Division of Emergency Management’s five-year accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program.

The program is a Kentucky-based nonprofit group that sets standards for emergency preparedness and allows emergency managers to assess state and local government programs. Kansas is the 28th state to gain accreditation.

The program’s standards address more than 100 issues, such as whether emergency communications systems are adequately tested and whether plans spell out which agency is responsible for individual services.

Brownback said the accreditation shows that Kansas has a strong emergency management program.