Piedras Negras, Mexico – First responders with SAMU Coahuila tread a well-worn migrant crossing path near the Mexico-U.S. border, carrying emergency medical response backpacks from Direct Relief. These backpacks, brimming with essential medical supplies for triage care, symbolize a 15-year collaboration between Direct Relief and FedEx, delivering life-saving assistance across the globe.
Since its inception in 2009, Direct Relief’s emergency medical backpack program has reached 61 countries and all 50 U.S. states and territories. Developed to support volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) members in California, each pack is equipped with medicine, supplies, and tools designed to address a range of disaster-related medical needs, from infection control to trauma care.
Over the past decade and a half, 13,000 of these backpacks have been distributed worldwide, largely due to the sustained financial and logistical backing from FedEx. The backpacks are among the most sought-after resources by health providers responding to crises.
The backpacks have been pivotal in responding to major disasters, such as the Maui wildfire last year, the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. They were also deployed in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, in Mexico after Hurricane Otis in 2023, and in response to the recurring wildfires in Western forests.
Beyond emergency scenarios, these backpacks have also proven valuable in everyday healthcare settings. In Santa Barbara, teams of volunteers use them to provide medical care to homeless populations, while in rural Puerto Rico, they serve as mobile clinics, extending healthcare access to remote areas.
Marguerite Sanchez, co-founder and executive director of Santa Barbara Street Medicine, highlights the importance of these packs: “We are backpack-based medicine. We do not operate in a building at all; everything we do is out of the backpack. It’s basically our most important tool besides our volunteers.”
FedEx has played a critical role in this initiative from the start, sponsoring the backpack program in 2009 and continuing to support it as it has expanded. Beyond the backpacks, FedEx has facilitated the delivery of donated medicines to Federally Qualified Health Centers across the U.S. and has airlifted large quantities of medical supplies into disaster zones worldwide.
“FedEx has been the catalyst behind so many of our emergency preparedness efforts, both in the U.S. and around the world,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief. “The backpack they initially invested in, specifically for California’s medical volunteers, has now become the most requested item for disasters globally.”
April Britt, Director of FedEx Global Citizenship, emphasized the strength of the partnership: “We’ve formed a powerful collaboration that delivers critical aid exactly where and when it’s needed most. The long-term collaboration between Direct Relief and FedEx is forged in the shared desire to help communities struck by disaster.”
Recently, the backpacks were sent to the Caribbean to assist first responders in Grenada and Jamaica following Hurricane Beryl. With the 2024 hurricane and wildfire seasons expected to be particularly active, the demand for these emergency medical backpacks is likely to rise.
The MRC, established to bolster community preparedness after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, relies on volunteers including physicians, nurses, veterinarians, social workers, and more. Initially, MRC volunteers were expected to supply their own equipment. “We thought, they’re volunteers, they shouldn’t have to purchase their own supplies, let’s see what we can do,” recalls Heather Bennett, Chief of Staff at Direct Relief. The organization started by donating 100 backpacks to Santa Barbara County’s MRC, and the program has grown significantly since then.
Today, the State of California’s Emergency Medical Services Authority recognizes these backpacks as standard equipment. In 2012, Direct Relief and FedEx were honored with the National Partnership Award by the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, further cementing the impact of their collaboration in enhancing global disaster response efforts.