Maryland Office of Resilience Unveils Comprehensive Resilience Toolkit
Empowering Communities With Funding Information, Planning Resources, and Technical Support to Tackle Future Challenges
HANOVER, MD (November 12, 2024) — The Maryland Office of Resilience (MOR), which is part of the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM), is proud to announce the launch of the Maryland Resilience Toolkit, available at ResilientMaryland.com. This new tool is designed to equip local governments, State agencies, community leaders, businesses, and nonprofits with access to the resources needed to strengthen hazard resilience across Maryland.
The Maryland Resilience Toolkit is a one-stop shop for resilience information and resources that can help communities across the State adapt to and overcome a wide range of evolving risks, from climate change and natural hazards to infrastructure challenges. By offering access to resilience grant opportunities and best practices, the Toolkit ensures that Maryland’s unique communities—from urban centers to rural towns—can build stronger infrastructure, protect their environments, and safeguard their people.
“The key to a resilient Maryland lies within our State’s ability to be prepared to adapt, withstand, and swiftly recover from disruptions to daily life,” said Secretary Russ Strickland of MDEM. “The Maryland Resilience Toolkit offers our communities the resources they need to shape a more resilient Maryland, where communities thrive.”
Who Is the Toolkit for?
The Maryland Resilience Toolkit is designed for a broad audience that plays a vital role in Maryland’s hazard resilience efforts, including:
- State and Local Governments: Supporting operational planners and leadership teams to create robust resilience strategies.
- Resilience Authorities: Assisting local entities with the tools to promote community resilience at every level.
- Businesses and Non Governmental Organizations: Empowering organizations to take proactive steps in risk mitigation.
Why Is It Important?
MOR’s vision is to build stronger communities, infrastructure, and systems capable of meeting future challenges for all Marylanders. The Maryland Resilience Toolkit reflects this vision by helping all Marylanders access the resources and opportunities needed to stay safe and resilient, including those that advance environmental justice and uplift underserved communities. The Toolkit empowers users with the knowledge and tools necessary for success.
“I’m incredibly proud of all the Maryland Office of Resilience has achieved since we established it in 2022,” said Senator Katie Fry Hester. “The office has steadfastly worked to create the Toolkit which will allow it to support locals in applying for federal funding for flood resilience, cybersecurity, and more. From the appointment of our State’s first Chief Resilience Officer, to the launch of the State’s resilience strategy process, to the introduction of the Resilience Toolkit, we’re making Maryland stronger and more resilient every day.”
The Toolkit’s development represents Maryland’s ongoing commitment to proactive resilience planning. It also underscores the belief that resilience must be collaborative, inclusive, and far-reaching—touching not just coastal areas, but every community across the State.
About the Maryland Office of Resilience
MOR promotes coordination and collaboration of experts and stakeholders across the State of Maryland to build community capacity and drive resilience. As Maryland’s coordinators of resilience strategy and practice, MOR aims to equitably strengthen the State of Maryland’s resilience. By promoting collaboration, equity, and strategic investments, MOR ensures Maryland’s resilience planning is inclusive, community-centered, and future-focused.
About the Maryland Department of Emergency Management
MDEM is a national leader in emergency management that provides Maryland residents, organizations, and emergency management partners with expert information, programmatic activities, and leadership in the delivery of financial, technical, and physical resources “to shape a resilient Maryland where communities thrive.” We do this by being Maryland’s designated source of official risk reduction and consequence management information.
For more information about MDEM or MOR visit mdem.maryland.gov, follow MDEM’s X’s (formerly Twitter) feed at @MDMEMA, or follow MDEM’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MDMEMA.
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