Answering the Call: How MRC Volunteers Embody the Meaning of the 9/11 National Day of Service

Each year on September 11, the National Day of Service and Remembrance honors lives lost while reminding us of the power of service to heal, unite, and strengthen our communities. The spirit of this day is embodied by the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), a nationwide network of almost 300,000 volunteers who step up every day to protect public health, respond to emergencies, and build community resilience.

A National Network of Dedicated Volunteers

The MRC is composed of over 700 community-based units across the U.S. and its territories. Volunteers range from licensed medical and public health professionals to community members without medical training who want to help. Together, they prepare for and respond to emergencies while supporting routine public health needs. From staffing blood drives to providing shelter support, these volunteers are vital for local resilience.

Core Capabilities

Each MRC unit develops foundational skills like CPR, Psychological First Aid, Stop the Bleed, and Incident Command training. Many units excel at sheltering, running points of distribution, and providing public health education. Beyond core capabilities, many units have specialized skill sets such as behavioral health support, radiological response, and veterinary support.

Partnerships that Strengthen Response

Collaboration is at the heart of the MRC’s success. One of its most enduring partnerships is with the American Red Cross. For over 15 years, the two organizations have worked together, and a renewed national agreement further strengthens this bond. This partnership promotes integrated responses, joint training, and improved coordination during emergencies.

Recent examples showcase the impact:

• Texas Flood Response (2025): MRC volunteers partnered with Red Cross, the Jonah Community Center, Austin Disaster Relief Network, World Central Kitchen, Humanitarian Emergency Response Organization, Hope Animal-Assistance Crisis Response, and others to response and recovery efforts by administering first aid, supporting mental health initiatives, providing veterinary support, and more.
• St. Louis Tornado Response (2025): MRC volunteers provided first aid and other health services at two Red Cross shelters.
• Oklahoma Tornado Response (2024): MRC volunteers provided mental health support and tetanus vaccinations at Red Cross-led Multi-Agency Resource Centers, assisting more than 600 households in just two days.
• New Mexico Wildfire Response (2024): MRC members staffed Red Cross shelters during the South Fork wildfires, offering both medical and behavioral health support.
• Illinois Tornado Response (2024): The Lake County MRC Trauma Response Team provided bilingual crisis counseling to displaced residents sheltered by the Red Cross.

Beyond disaster response, local MRCs and Red Cross chapters routinely collaborate on blood drives, CPR training, and home fire prevention programs, extending their reach in everyday preparedness.

Integration into Local Response Systems

The MRC’s strength lies in its seamless integration with public health, emergency management, and healthcare systems. Volunteers act as trusted extensions of these systems, serving as force multipliers when demand exceeds capacity. They support:

• Alternative Care Sites during medical surges
• Sheltering Operations, both medical and non-medical
• Distribution of Needed Goods such as protective equipment, water, and meals
• Recovery Efforts, from health education to long-term community support
• Emergency Communications and information distribution
• Animal First Aid for pets affected by disasters

Many units even provide statewide or interstate support through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), demonstrating the network’s reach and flexibility.

National Support for Local Impact

Behind every local unit is the Office of the Medical Reserve Corps (OMRC), which provides coordination, training, and resources. For example, every year, the OMRC has every MRC unit complete a Technical Assistance Assessment to evaluate their capabilities and identify areas for growth. The OMRC uses these assessments to provide targeted training, volunteer management support, and deployment readiness planning. This process ensures units are better prepared to address local and regional needs, whether responding to disasters or supporting ongoing community health.

Key areas of OMRC support include:

• Capability Assessment: Helping units identify strengths and areas for improvement.
• Training and Education: Access to national training platforms, leadership development, and credentialing.
• Resource Development: Templates, toolkits, and risk analysis tools that make local operations more effective.
• Partnership Integration: Connecting units to federal and local partners for stronger collaboration.
• Storytelling and Data: Capturing and sharing impact stories to highlight MRC contributions.

This national infrastructure ensures that volunteers are not only ready but empowered to make a difference, ensuring state, local, tribal, and territorial partners have the support they need to build capacity, strengthen readiness, and face future challenges with confidence. Through targeted technical assistance, training, and the fostering of strong collaborations, the OMRC is ensures MRC units nationwide are positioned to serve as force multipliers in both preparedness and response.

Service as a Path to Preparedness and Healing

The MRC embodies the mission of the National Day of Service and Remembrance. By bringing together neighbors with diverse skills and a shared purpose, the MRC shows how service strengthens both individuals and communities. Their work directly aligns with national preparedness priorities, ensuring that local communities have the tools and people they need to face emergencies with confidence.

Whether staffing cooling centers during heatwaves, operating shelters in storms, or assisting at local health fairs, MRC volunteers demonstrate that service is not just a one-day act but a daily commitment to community resilience.

Honoring the Spirit of 9/11

On this National Day of Service, we honor the lives lost on September 11 by recognizing the everyday heroes who step forward in their communities. MRC volunteers epitomize the spirit of service, proving time and again that the strength of our nation lies in the dedication of its people.

The MRC is more than an emergency response system, it is a bridge between federal priorities and local action, between neighbors in need and neighbors who serve. On this day of remembrance, we thank the thousands of MRC volunteers who ensure our communities are safer, healthier, and stronger.

If you are inspired to serve, consider joining your local MRC unit. Together, we can honor the legacy of 9/11 by building resilience, one act of service at a time.