November 15 Event in Hanover Honors Frontline Emergency Responders
(November 10, 2025) – The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (SHA) will host its second annual Thank a Safety Responder Day, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, November 15. The free, family-friendly, outdoor event will take place at State Highway’s Hanover Complex, 7491 Connelley Dr., Hanover.
The public is invited to attend this celebration of Maryland’s frontline crash responder heroes. Police, fire, emergency medical responders and others – including members of State Highway Administration’s Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART) – will be on hand with their response vehicles and equipment, including fire engines, motorcycles, a tow truck, CHART vehicles and a Maryland State Police Aviation medevac helicopter.
“Thank a Safety Responder Day gives us an opportunity to raise awareness of the job our first responders perform to save lives and quickly clear crashes and other traffic incidents,” said State Highway Administrator Will Pines. “Crash response is a team effort involving emergency services, law enforcement, fire and rescue, towing and others. We’re all part of that team too – and our commitment to good driving habits is critical to ensure everyone gets home safely.”
The event also commemorates Crash Responder Safety Week in Maryland, November 17-21. Governor Wes Moore has issued a proclamation recognizing the week in Maryland and honoring the incident responders who “provide a critical public service to all who live, work and travel in Maryland and are called to duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
Thank a Safety Responder Day activities will include:
- meeting and thanking highway crash and first responders;
- exploring crash responder vehicles from fire and rescue, police, towing and more;
- making “Thank You” cards for responders; and
- visiting inside SHA’s Statewide Operations Center, which monitors traffic 24/7.
The State Highway Administration will present “Junior Crash Responder” certificates to participating children who meet crash responders and learn about their life-saving work. Children’s crafts and activities will be offered, and information and access to community resources will be available. Something About Sweets will have treats available for purchase.
Crash Responder Safety Week is celebrated annually to raise awareness of the important role motorists play in keeping traffic incident responders safe as they perform their life-saving work on roadways.
According to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office, law enforcement reported 107,844 crashes on Maryland roadways in 2024. Additionally last year, SHA Traffic Management Centers logged 28,005 roadway incidents and 16,778 disabled vehicles. SHA’s CHART units assist tens of thousands of motorists every year and prevent additional crashes by rapidly responding to and resolving roadway incidents.
Partnering agencies participating in the Thank a Safety Responder Day event include:
- Anne Arundel County Fire Department
- BWI Fire & Rescue Department
- Emergency Responder Institute
- Maryland Department of Transportation
- Maryland State Highway Administration
- Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office
- Maryland State Police
- Maryland State Police Aviation (Medivac helicopter)
- Maryland Transportation Authority
- Maryland Transportation Authority Police
- AAA-Mid Atlantic
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving – Glenwood, Maryland Chapter
- Bailey’s Heart and Soul Foundation
- Cumberland Valley Firefighters Association
The event will be canceled in the event of severe weather. Any weather-related announcements will be shared via social SHA’s X and Facebook accounts. If you’re not able to attend the event, please take a moment during the week of November 17-21 to thank a safety responder in your community.
For more information on roadway safety, visit zerodeaths.maryland.gov.