The annual MDERS Steering Committee election was held during the December 2024 meeting. The elected stakeholders were Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) Lt. Nicholas Fiore as chair and Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) Director Luke Hodgson as vice chair. MDERS is excited to collaborate with both Lt. Fiore and Director Hodgson to plan future programmatic efforts for MDERS.

The mission of the Maryland-National Capital Region Emergency Response System (MDERS) is to support the integration of five disciplines (emergency management, fire/rescue/emergency medical services [EMS], law enforcement, public health, and healthcare systems) to ensure a coordinated response to emergency incidents through strategic planning, information sharing, training, exercises, equipment acquisition, and evaluations. Paramount to this goal is the MDERS Steering Committee. This group is comprised of ten representatives from the five disciplines from Montgomery and Prince George’s County. The Steering Committee provides guidance and an overview of the funding priorities for MDERS.

To lead this body, a chair and vice chair assume immense responsibility during monthly meetings, establishing agendas, preserving decorum, regulating debate according to parliamentary procedure, and supervising the general functioning of the Steering Committee. These two positions are essential to the cohesion of MDERS and stakeholder partners.

The next year provides great opportunities for MDERS to support stakeholders through the direction of the Steering Committee under the tutelage of the chair and vice chair.

MDERS and the Steering Committee would like to extend immense gratitude to Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service (MCFRS) Assistant Chief Tracy McDonald for serving as chair and to Lt. Nicholas Fiore for serving as vice chair during 2024. The support provided was invaluable in advancing the mission of MDERS.