Diagnostic Test Membranes
Banner Image
On-Demand IV Fluid:
Banner Image
Training, Preparing, Responding: How MRC Builds More Resilient Communities
Training, Preparing, Responding: How MRC Builds More Resilient Communities
Topic:
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a small and targeted program within the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) that directly supports local preparedness and response and enhances resilience across communities. MRC volunteers are organized in units by their communities to partner with public health and emergency response organizations to prepare communities before a crisis, strengthening coordination and readiness. In the aftermath of disasters, they are there on the ground, supporting response and recovery.
MRC expands public health and medical response capacity at minimal cost to the taxpayers. In 2025 MRC volunteered almost 300,000 hours, at a total value of approximately $11.7 million. MRC volunteers reduce strain on first responders, improve outcomes, and contribute to a culture of readiness in the communities they serve.
24 Years of Service
After the September 11thattacks, volunteers wanted to help, but there was no system in place that harnessed that willingness to serve. In 2002, HHS launched the MRC pilot project supporting communities to establish just 42 units. Four years later, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act was enacted, formally establishing the MRC as another pillar of support within communities across the nation.
Over time, Congress reauthorized and strengthened the MRC to ensure communities have the personnel and support needed to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. The authorities in the Public Health Service Act, as amended by PAHPA, enable ASPR to support recruitment, training, and coordination across hundreds of local units — creating a system that connects federal resources with community-based response. It ensures that when emergencies occur, communities are not starting from zero. They have trained volunteers already in place. That’s the difference between reacting and being ready and that’s why PAHPA reauthorization is vital.
Building Capacity Before the Crisis
Using annual funding, MRC units across the country support successful responses and recoveries long before disaster strikes by educating, training, coordinating, and preparing members of their communities.
In addition to the small annual appropriation to facilitate the general operation and integration of the national MRC network that ASPR has received, using one-time funding provided by Congress during the COVID-19 response, between 2023 and 2025, ASPR awarded MRC State, Territory and Tribal Nations, Representative Organizations for Next Generation (MRC-STTRONG) grants to 33 states and territories. States and jurisdictions used these funds to strengthen the MRC network - focusing on enhancing emergency preparedness and response.
One example of how funding has been used to directly support a community was in Maryland. In Caroline County, Maryland, the local MRC unit partnered with the health department and emergency services to launch a Citizen Preparedness Training course. This ten-week program was designed to give participants the skills and confidence to handle emergencies until professional responders arrive. Participants learned how to use fire extinguishers, perform CPR, administer naloxone, and communicate effectively during large-scale emergencies. Participants trained alongside nurses, paramedics, EMTs, and public safety professionals. Once the training was complete, participants left with not only the knowledge but also the confidence to act and the coordination in place to be effective.
In an area like Caroline, County, this supporting workforce of trained volunteers has a real impact on this rural community. When the nearest point of care is an hour away, having a local capability to mitigate immediate health issues can save lives. The MRC program ultimately improves community preparedness and resilience and offers one other alternative to mitigate immediate threats to public health.
Another example of how MRC units are supporting communities because of this one-time funding is within Puerto Rico. With the funds, the territory doubled their MRC cadre. They also established strike teams that are partnered and trained with health and emergency management officials. During a disaster, this set of MRC volunteers can be leveraged to directly support response efforts because of the investment in training opportunities for these teams.
Deploying When Communities Need Support
When disaster strikes, MRC volunteers step up, and what they’ve achieved is remarkable. For example, more than 30 volunteers deployed with little notice after the Brown University shooting, helping establish a reunification center, supporting survivors, and assisting incident leadership during a complex and evolving situation.
MRC volunteers have provided medical support for their communities at many National Special Security Events, and they plan to support upcoming events, including the FIFA World Cup and the America 250 celebrations in cities across the U.S.
MRC is also responding to the opioid crisis, which is the longest-running declared public health emergency in history. In 2025, MRC units in 37 states trained community members to administer opioid overdose medication; connected individuals to care; assembled and distributed naloxone kits; and more.
Celebrating MRC Volunteers
The Medical Reserve Corps demonstrates what effective preparedness looks like: locally driven, nationally supported, and built on a foundation of service. MRC proves that when individuals step forward, entire systems become stronger. To every volunteer: You are the reason neighbors are safer and healthier, responses are more effective, and recoveries are stronger. And as new challenges emerge, the Medical Reserve Corps and the spirit of service that it embodies will remain one of our nation’s great assets.
To Congress, we look forward to consideration of the reauthorization of PAHPA. Reauthorizing key authorities and programs, to include MRC, ensures that we move forward in supporting communities before, during, and after disaster.
ASPR’s Response to the Kona Low Weather Event in Hawaii
ASPR’s Response to the Kona Low Weather Event in Hawaii
New and Notable
Advancing Access to Health Care Through Increased Flexibility
On April 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE for the state of Hawaii to address the health impacts caused by recent severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides. The declaration follows President Trump’s emergency declaration and gives the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
HHS has waived sanctions and penalties for violations of certain provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule against hospitals in the emergency areas. The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a bulletin explaining how limited waivers apply and the duration.
Strengthening Community Resilience with Behavioral Health Support
The HHS emPOWER program is available to identify the number of Medicare beneficiaries in affected zips codes who rely on electricity-dependent durable medical equipment and certain healthcare services, such as dialysis, oxygen tank, or home health. The tool is used to help anticipate, plan for, and respond to the needs of at-risk individuals in potentially impacted areas.
Strengthening Community Resilience with Behavioral Health Support
The HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers free crisis counseling through the Disaster Distress Helpline. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
To connect with a trained counselor, call or text 1-800-985-5990. Spanish speakers can press “2” for bilingual support. Callers also can connect with counselors in more than 100 other languages via third-party interpretation services by indicating their preferred language to the responding counselor.
Technical Assistance
We encourage communities in all typhoon prone areas to use ASPR TRACIE's resources to plan to protect health.
ASPR Investments Support a Broader Response to the Opioid Crisis: A Threat to National Security and Public Health
ASPR Investments Support a Broader Response to the Opioid Crisis: A Threat to National Security and Public Health
New and Notable
Opioids pose a serious and multifaceted threat to both national security and public health. They have been used as deadly weapons, as demonstrated in the Moscow Theater Crisis, and they remain at the center of a persistent public health emergency here at home. Every day, Americans struggle with opioid use disorder, and in 2024, opioid overdoses claimed more than 56,000 lives nationwide.
ASPR is helping address this threat on multiple fronts. We are developing new medical countermeasures and working to onshore production of existing active pharmaceutical ingredients and key starting materials needed to respond to opioid-related threats. At the same time, we are investing in a broad portfolio of medical countermeasures to ensure the nation is prepared to treat patients in the event of an attack involving opioids and to provide bystanders, first responders, and clinicians with better tools to save lives and support people affected by opioid use disorder.
In addition, ASPR supports communities across the country through the Medical Reserve Corps, helping state and local partners advance harm reduction efforts. ASPR also provides technical assistance to hospitals and healthcare coalitions as they work to respond to the opioid crisis.
The Longest-Running Public Health Emergency
On October 26, 2017, during the first Trump Administration, Acting HHS Secretary Eric Hargan formally declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. Since then, it has become the longest-running public health emergency in U.S. history. Secretary Kennedy renewed the declaration as part of the Trump Administration’s continued commitment to addressing the opioid overdose crisis and as one of the critical steps being taken to Make America Healthy Again.
Repeated renewal of the public health emergency has allowed the federal government to sustain coordination efforts and preserve key flexibilities. These authorities enable HHS to continue responding to the opioid overdose crisis while also preparing for mass-casualty incidents involving opioids. Details on the declaration and its renewals are provided below.
Lifesaving Medical Countermeasures
The nation needs effective tools to confront the opioid threat. ASPR is investing in cutting-edge medical countermeasures and strengthening domestic production of proven products that help protect Americans from both weaponized opioids and overdose.
ASPR’s Center for Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain is supporting production of the key starting materials and active pharmaceutical ingredients used to manufacture opioid overdose reversal medications. By bringing production of these essential medicines back home, ASPR is reducing reliance on foreign sources, creating jobs in American communities, strengthening national security, reinforcing the nation’s medical supply chains, and helping address an ongoing public health crisis.
At the same time, ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, continues to invest in countermeasures for CBRN threats, including treatments that reverse respiratory depression caused by opioid overdoses and other drugs commonly mixed with fentanyl. These countermeasures can be used by first responders, clinicians, and even bystanders. ASPR is also investing in other products with similar cross-cutting benefits.
| Product Name | Company Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thebaine | Antheia Inc. | Key Starting Material | Thebaine-derived medicines are critical for pain management, the treatment of alcohol use disorder, and opioid overdose reversal, yet they remain in short supply and rely on vulnerable global supply chains. ASPR invested in the expansion of domestic production of thebaine to reduce our dependence on foreign suppliers and strengthen national security.
|
| Naloxone | Apiject | Combination Product Development | Apiject will submit naloxone as the next combination product developed on the Apiject blow-fill-seal platform in a nasal spray application format for regulatory review to the FDA. Registration batches are on track to be complete in 2026. |
| Naxolone | Phlow | Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
| Phlow’s manufacturing ecosystem can support 3 months’ worth of US demand for naloxone. |
| OPVEE (nalmefene) nasal spray | Indivior Inc. | Approved Product | OPVEE nasal spray is an emergency opioid overdose reversal treatment for known or suspected overdose induced by natural or synthetic opioids in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older. |
| ENA-001 IM formulation | Enalare Therapeutics Inc. USA | Under Development | ENA-001 is a respiratory stimulant that increases ventilation and reverses respiratory depression. The MCM candidate can potentially be used as an emergency treatment against opioid- and other drug-induced respiratory depression. |
| OX390 dry-powder | Orexo US Inc. | Under Development | OX390 is a rescue nasal powder designed to treat overdoses involving drugs like xylazine and medetomidine often illicitly mixed with fentanyl. If approved, this drug could give first responders a powerful new tool to save lives in situations where current treatments fall short. |
| AI & quantum chemistry-based repurposable drug screen | Alamgir Research USA | Project Completed | This project addressed a key gap in opioid overdose treatment by focusing on respiratory stimulation targets. The screening approach identified FDA-approved drugs that may stimulate breathing and could be tested in the future for reversing drug-induced respiratory depression. |
The Medical Reserve Corps: Ensuring community needs are met before, during, and after emergencies
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a network of roughly 260,000 volunteers in more than 715 units nationwide working to improve the health and safety of your community. MRC volunteers are partnering with state and local leaders to reduce the devastating impacts of the opioid crisis and strengthen communities across the nation. The MRC has been a critical partner in combatting the opioid crisis since the initial declaration in 2017.
In 2025, MRC units in 37 states and territories responded to the opioid public health emergency by training community members to administer opioid overdose medication; connecting individuals to care; teaching harm reduction training; assembling and distributing naloxone harm reduction kits; and more.
670+
Activities
7,100
Hours
$280k
Value of Time
Learn more about the Medical Reserve Corps and find out how to join your local unit.
Technical Assistance
ASPR Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) provides tools and technical assistance that can help healthcare facilities, health care coalitions, MRC units, and public health practitioners address the impacts of the opioid crisis in their communities. ASPR TRACIE’s Resource Library helps healthcare emergency planners address gaps in planning and response and the Information Exchange offers a peer knowledge exchange with near real-time support.
ASPR TRACIE developed two resources that can help the healthcare community address the opioid crisis: an article that highlights case studies and actions healthcare coalitions can take to address the opioid crisis, and another that features responses to FAQs for responders and other providers.
In addition, the Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management (CHEMM) is an online resource for emergency responders which includes resources to help responders.
Find Treatment
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorder, please don’t wait. Help is available. Visit FindTreatment.gov to locate treatment options near you.
Public Health Emergency Declarations Addressing the National Opioid Crisis
March 16, 2026: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
December 15, 2025: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
September 18, 2025: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
March 18, 2025: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
December 20, 2024: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
September 19, 2024: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
March 25, 2024: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
December 21, 2023: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
September 26, 2023: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
March 31, 2023: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
December 22, 2022: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
September 29, 2022: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as a Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
January 3, 2022: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
October 6, 2021: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
January 7, 2021: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis
October 7, 2020: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
July 6, 2020: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
April 2, 2020: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
January 24, 2020: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
October 16, 2019: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
July 17, 2019: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
April 19, 2019: Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
January 17, 2019: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
October 18, 2018: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
July 23, 2018: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
April 20, 2018: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
January 19, 2018: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
October 26, 2017: Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis
ASPR Response to the 2025 New Mexico Flooding
ASPR Response to the 2025 New Mexico Flooding
On July 8, 2025, flash floods overwhelmed The Village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, a mountain town still scarred by both flooding and wildfires that tore through the region just a year earlier. Slow-moving storms dumped heavy rains on already fragile terrain, and floodwaters surged through neighborhoods. Over 200 homes were damaged, and water systems, roadways, and communication lines collapsed.
On July 10, 2025, President Trump approved an emergency declaration for the Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, and Valencia counties in the state of New Mexico in response to the emergency conditions resulting from the severe storms, flooding, and landslides.
ASPR’s 5 Lines of Effort to Strengthen Community Resilience with Behavioral Health Support on the Ground
The Village of Ruidoso was already in a delicate situation before the floods began. Many of the homes in the region did not have flood insurance and were damaged from the 2024 wildfires and flooding. The floods displaced entire families, and residents struggled with food and housing insecurity and job loss. Children were unable to attend school, and first responders were stretched thin.
The ASPR Center for Response Disaster Behavioral Health Program stepped in with five trauma-informed, community-centered approaches to support the emotional and psychological well-being of survivors, frontline responders, and displaced families.
Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) Support: Staff were embedded at the DRC, offering direct assistance, emotional support, and mental health resources to those seeking aid.
Youth-Focused Programming: Recognizing the need for structure and emotional care for displaced children, ASPR launched activities for kids ages 6 to 16 at the DRC, creating a safe space for play, learning, and healing.
Responder Mental Health: The team provided Force Health Protection to first responders and emergency personnel, helping them manage stress, grief, and burnout in real-time.
Hotel Outreach: With 183 survivors housed in non-congregate shelters, ASPR responders conducted outreach to provide psychosocial support and check on emerging needs.
Community Scans: ASPR teams conducted 20 neighborhood-level outreach efforts to identify individuals needing urgent referrals, distribute resources, and offer direct support.
The ASPR Behavioral Health Team was able to:
Conduct 34 community scans to identify urgent needs
Distribute 264+ mental health resources in both English in Spanish
Complete 158 direct encounters with survivors and responders
Complete 111 Force Health Protection encounters for first responders, community members serving affected populations, and Public Health Service officers
Complete 109 encounters with affected children through the youth-based activity hub
Behavioral health responders help stabilize not just individuals, but entire systems. ASPR’s response to the 2025 New Mexico flood reinforced the importance of prioritizing mental health for not only residents of an affected area, but first responders, to successfully support a region and bring the region and its residents back to normal daily life.
SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline
The HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers free crisis counseling through the Disaster Distress Helpline. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
To connect with a trained counselor, call or text 1-800-985-5990. Spanish speakers can press “2” for bilingual support. Callers also can connect with counselors in more than 100 other languages via third-party interpretation services by indicating their preferred language to the responding counselor.
Health, Education, & Human Services Recovery Support
ASPR supports state-led recovery efforts by coordinating federal assistance through the Health, Education, and Human Services Recovery Support Function (HEHS RSF) within the National Disaster Recovery Framework. Activated by FEMA at the request of the State of New Mexico, the HEHS RSF aligns federal resources to support locally driven recovery priorities. Through this role, ASPR leads federal coordination for health, education, and human services recovery, helping restore public health, health care, human services, education, and behavioral health systems to strengthen the resilience, health, and well-being of affected individuals and communities.
By building on the work that began in 2025, the state is better prepared to protect health and save lives during this year’s monsoon season. ASPR will continue to support the state’s priorities in preparing for this year’s monsoon season by identifying and delivering capacity-building initiatives that enhance state and local preparedness, disaster behavioral health, health care preparedness, and public health preparedness.
Technical Assistance Resources for Severe Storms and Floods
We encourage communities in flood zones to use ASPR TRACIE's resources to plan and protect health during severe storms.
Maryland Medical Reserve Corps, MD Responds Prepared New Volunteers to Respond to Health Emergencies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact ASPR Press Office
Maryland Medical Reserve Corps, MD Responds Prepared New Volunteers to Respond to Health Emergencies
“It is a key priority for ASPR to invest in efforts that strengthen the preparedness and resiliency of state and local governments and the volunteers that graduated this program will only enhance Maryland’s ability to respond to emergencies,” said ASPR’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary John Knox. “Response always starts at the local level, and the Medical Reserve Corps represents neighbors helping neighbors. Volunteers with MRC are an important tool that serves as a force multiplier in some of the worst times when communities need assistance the most.”
Caroline County is a rural community without a local hospital. Recognizing that neighbors will often act as first responders to those in need, the local MRC unit, Public Health Department, and Emergency Management Officials partnered together to offer needed training and build resilience. Caroline County launched its first-ever Citizen Preparedness Training course, a free, 10-week program designed to help residents build practical emergency response skills and confidence this past February. Each week, classes focused on a key area of emergency preparedness, providing participants with hands-on instruction and real-world guidance they can use to protect themselves, their families, and their community.
Topics included personal awareness and de-escalation techniques, severe weather response and emergency communications, search and rescue basics, psychological first aid, and life-saving skills such as CPR and AED use. Participants also learned how to properly use fire extinguishers, administer Narcan, and effectively communicate critical information when calling 911 during large-scale emergencies. The program includes deployment readiness training and the issuance of personal emergency “GO-bags” to those who graduated.
MRC units are managed by state or local agencies as part of a nationwide program led by ASPR’s Office of Medical Reserve Corps. The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) comprises over 250,000 volunteers in 700 community-based units across the U.S. and its territories. These units work within their local communities to enhance emergency response, boost community preparedness, and reinforce public health and safety measures. Each MRC unit is unique, tailoring its activities based on community needs, volunteer expertise, and partner assistance.
MRC units prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies including those affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks and power outages. MRC volunteers also regularly contribute to community preparedness, engaging in activities like Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/Automated External Defibrillator (CPR/AED) and naloxone administration training and assisting with community health care clinics. Volunteers encompass practicing, retired, or employed medical professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, pharmacists, veterinarians), public health professionals, and community members providing administrative and essential support, such as translation services and transportation.
The training program utilized funding from ASPR’s MRC State, Territory and Tribal Nations, Representative Organizations for Next Generation (MRC-STTRONG) grant. Caroline County MRC received more than $46,000, the bulk of which was used to fund this training.
For more information about the MRC and how their volunteers assist communities, visit: https://aspr.hhs.gov/MRC/Pages/index.aspx.
###
About ASPR:
ASPR is the nation’s lead health security agency—driving preparedness before disaster strikes, securing domestic medical supply chains, advancing gold standard science, and delivering a fast, accountable federal response when lives are on the line. We partner with states, local communities, tribes, territories, other federal agencies, and the private sector to strengthen readiness at home. We invest in American manufacturing to reduce foreign dependency, and steward taxpayer resources with transparency, discipline, and measurable outcomes. ASPR protects the American people and ensures that the United States can prepare for, respond to, and recover from any threat to national security, anytime, anywhere.