In 2014, Wisconsin established seven healthcare emergency readiness coalition regions (HERC) to coordinate how public health, healthcare institutions, and first responder agencies, such as police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS), will manage their efforts to enact a uniform and unified response to an emergency, including a mass casualty or other catastrophic event. Each HERC is made up of healthcare organizations, public safety and public health partners that work together to assist with large scale emergencies.