STATE POLICE READY FOR RESPONSE IF NEEDED

(PIKESVILLE, MD) -- Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Marcus Brown has placed all State Police personnel and resources on standby to respond if needed following the earthquake.

All Maryland State Police barracks throughout the state reported feeling the quake, but as of 2:30 p.m., they have received no reports of serious injuries. Troopers are in contact with local emergency operations centers and local law enforcement to coordinate efforts to gather information and respond to needs in their areas. Troopers are on patrol across Maryland assessing their areas of responsibility for any injuries to citizens or major damage.

State Police officials are in contact with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and other state response agencies. Response efforts will be coordinated with MEMA per established state emergency response procedures.

All State Police helicopters are safe and have been moved out of their hangars as a precaution. State Police helicopter crews are standing by their aircraft ready to fly emergency missions if called upon.

Maryland State Police Special Operations Division personnel have reported to their posts and are on stand-by to respond if needed. This includes personnel from the STATE Team, the K-9 Unit, state search team and other specialized personnel.

Colonel Brown is in Annapolis with Governor Martin O’Malley and other state officials. They are working with MEMA to ensure accurate assessments are made in every area of the state and appropriate resources are deployed if needed.