Four Calvert County residents are alive today because paramedics were able to begin a blood transfusion before reaching the hospital. That’s according to Commissioner Catherine Grasso, who credited the county’s fire and rescue clinicians during the Board of County Commissioners’ October 20 meeting, as reported by the Southern Maryland Chronicle. All four patients left the hospital in good condition.
For Calvert, the case for prehospital blood comes down to distance. The county is a long drive from a major trauma center, and for a patient with severe bleeding after a crash, shooting or other traumatic injury, those minutes on the road can decide the outcome. The county’s Whole Blood Field Transfusion Program, run by the Career EMS Division and Calvert Advanced Life Support, has put low-titer Type O positive whole blood on career EMS supervisor units since November 15, 2025. Each supervisor carries two units along with the equipment needed to store and administer them safely.
The program is built around a strong blood bank partnership. Inova Health System’s blood donor services supplies the units, which are rotated every 14 days. Unused units return to Inova for hospital use, so no blood goes to waste. It’s a model that protects both patients in the field and the wider blood supply.
When the program launched, Calvert became the first agency in Southern Maryland and the fifth prehospital EMS agency in Maryland authorized to give whole blood, according to the Maryland Association of Counties. Nationally, it was the 270th. Momentum is building across the state too: Somerset County accepted a five-year state grant for its own ambulance whole blood program earlier this year.
At Delta Development Team, we’re proud that Calvert County’s EMS clinicians carry their whole blood in the Delta ICE 2L Smart Blood Cooler, with BloodCOMM® monitoring each unit’s temperature and chain of custody from the blood bank to the patient. Congratulations to Calvert County on a remarkable first year. Programs like this depend on donors, so if you’re in the area, you can find upcoming drives on Inova’s blood donation site.
