Published by Kirby Winn on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 in Blog
![BERC 5 year graphic]()
A critical element of blood industry disaster preparedness is celebrating its 5-year anniversary. Blood providers across the U.S. established the national Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC) the late summer of 2021, creating a new structure in which blood providers can support one another’s blood supply in times of crisis.
BERC was established during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of widespread challenges to the nation's blood supply. Through BERC, participating blood centers join forces to prepare for mass casualty events or natural disasters, ensuring their ability to meet emerging needs without delay or uncertainty.
Blood centers commit to collecting extra units on a rotating “on call” schedule (once every three weeks) to create an available supply of blood for emergency needs. Since 2001, BERC has been activated on 18 occasions, with members providing more than 1600 units of blood to help replenish blood that is sent to local hospitals in the immediate aftermath of a mass casualty event or natural disaster.
learn about previous BERC activations
The BERC network is activated when local blood inventory is challenged by events such as a mass shooting, bus crash, or weather event that causes significant disruption to blood collection. For a list of BERC activations over the last five years, see www.bloodemergencyreadinesscorps.org/activations.
Being “on call” for BERC means BERC members must be able to meet local needs and have additional inventory ready to ship at a moment's notice, emphasizing the need for a strong and stable blood supply at all times.