In the field of emergency management, it is well known that disasters strike at the local level first. As such, Maryland Responds is organized into Local Units throughout the state. Maryland Responds Local Units are housed within the local health departments and are managed by health department staff who serve as Local Administrators. A Responder’s Local Unit membership is determined by their county of residence. This is because they are considered the subject matter experts in their community and are a huge asset to local health departments when responding to public health emergencies.
 
Local Units may vary in the amount of volunteer management resources available to them and in the number of local volunteer opportunities available. For example, some counties may have one designated staff member for managing volunteers while others may have one staff member who is responsible for several or all emergency response capabilities — volunteer management being one of many. However, all counties in Maryland are part of the Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps Network.
 
Maryland Responders are encouraged to reach out to their Local Unit Administrator(s) for questions related to local emergency preparedness and response activities. Click here to view Local Unit Administrator contact information.