Prepared for today.

Committed to joining together to prepare for mass transfusion disasters, without delay or uncertainty.

Creating an available supply of blood for emergency needs.

About Us

The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps is a group of blood centers from across the nation who commit to preparing for mass transfusion disasters by collecting extra units for an emergency reserve.

This reserve is available immediately when disaster strikes, so responses can be immediate.

Blood is essential in the time of a disaster.

Mark Gower, Director of Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management

How BERC Works

Emergency Readiness

Blood centers collect extra blood units on a rotating schedule, creating an emergency reserve for potential transfusion emergency situations.

Immediate Action

When an emergency hits, blood is released to the blood center in need immediately, to meet initial needs.

Efficient Usage

If the blood units aren’t used for an emergency, they are returned to the blood center that collected them to be used for general needs.

Blood centers across the U.S. are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the nation’s first emergency blood reserve. Visit our media room to learn more.

Test your knowledge!

Want to see how much you know about BERC? Take our fun, interactive quiz!