Maryland State Highway Administration Hosts Second Annual Thank a Safety Responder Day in Hanover

HANOVER, MD (November 3, 2025)
- The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration will host the second annual Thank a Safety Responder Day, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, November 15. This free, family-friendly, outdoor event will take place at the State Highway's Hanover Complex, 7491 Connelley Drive, Hanover.

The public is invited to attend and meet some of Maryland's front-line crash responder heroes, including members of State Highway Administration's Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART), and explore their vehicles and equipment. The event will commemorate the start of National Crash Responder Safety Week,​ November 17-21.

"The support the community showed by attending last year's inaugural Thank a Safety Responder Day was incredible, and we are anticipating an even greater turnout this year," said State Highway Administrator Will Pines. "This is a great way for people of all ages to learn about the important, yet dangerous work our crash responders perform every day to keep us safe."

Activities offered at the event include:

• meeting and thanking highway crash and first responders;
• exploring crash responder vehicles from fire and rescue, police, towing and transportation - including a medevac helicopter from the Maryland State Police's Aviation Command Division; and
• visiting the State Highway's Statewide Operations Center, which monitors traffic 24/7.

Children can earn "Junior Crash Responder" certificates for meeting with crash responders and learning about their life-saving work. Other activities include driving remote control responder vehicles, making "thank you" cards for responders and receiving temporary sticker tattoos featuring their favorite responder vehicles.

Partnering agencies participating in Thank a Safety Responder Day include AAA Mid-Atlantic, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Fire and Rescue Department, Emergency Responder Institute, Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland State Highway Administration, Maryland Highway Safety Office, Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), MDTA Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

There is no admission fee or fees for any of the activities. Something About Sweets will have treats available for purchase.

Crash Responder Safety Week is commemorated by national associations, state departments of transportation and departments of public safety, metropolitan planning organizations, responders and their loved ones to bring attention to traffic incident responder safety and the important role motorists have in keeping responders safe as they perform their life-saving work on our roadways.

For more information on Thank a Safety Responder Day, visit roads.maryland.gov and click on the event web banner.