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Please note the state offices will be closed on September 1, 2025, for Labor Day. Please contact the CHECC Duty Officer at 517-819-0391 for immediate response needs on that day.
The Division of Emergency Preparedness (DEPR) and response has ended support and coordination for mirequest.org SharePoint site. The decision is the result of strategic realignment to ensure long-term sustainability and protection of the program’s core activities. The following outlines programs impacted.
MIRequest.org will no longer be available for SNS requesting:Request(s) should be submitted to the CHECC SNS Coordinator via email at checcsns@michigan.gov using the electronic form attached.
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- The process for an initial request is:
Treatment Center → MCC → Local EOC → District EM Coordinator → State EOC → CHECC → Governor → ASPR/CDC
-OR-
LHD → Local EOC → District EM Coordinator → State EOC → CHECC → Governor → ASPR/CDC
- Share the updated requesting process and form with staff as appropriate.
The following workplan deliverables will be removed:
- MISNS SharePoint contact sheet updates due September 30.
- MISNS SharePoint site refresher training on the November 13 PHEP Partners Call.
- MISNS SharePoint site drill scheduled for November 20.
- MISNS SharePoint office hours scheduled for August 27 and October 22.
- DEPR is working on alternative solutions and deliverables may be added later.
For any questions or concerns, please reach out to the MCM team at checcsns@michigan.gov.
Dates to Know:
September 30, 2025 - The go-live date for the new Michigan Volunteer Registry is Tuesday,
September 10, 2025, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. which will cover Registration, Home screen, Accounts, Groups, Notifications, and File Library.
September 24, 2025, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. which will cover Organizations, Credentialing, Background Checks, Missions, Time Tracking, and Reports (Notifications refresher if time allows).
MVR administrators are required to attend both training dates to review the new platform. These training sessions replace both the MVR Administrator Training on August 6, and the Volunteer Management Training on September 24.
Items To Do Before the Go Live Date:
• Messages previously sent through the MVR are not being migrated to the new platform; please ensure you retain a copy of any important sent messages.
• Message templates and groups are being migrated to the new platform; we suggest you retain a copy of both as a backup. If you find that you no longer use a group, please take the time to delete it.
What’s new in the new MVR?
• The new platform will look very similar to the Michigan Health Alert Network (HAN) platform.
• Messages will be called Notifications.
• The Missions function has been enhanced to better manage volunteers during deployments, and time tracking will be available to help administrators track volunteers’ service and shifts.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stephanie Steele or Elizabeth Shepard.
The first IMATS Drill for Budget Period 2 will be held September 15-19, 2025. The instructions for the drill are now available, link below. This drill will be reviewing and updating the facilities and roles in IMATS. We are asking for you to update both the IMATS site and the IMATS training site.
If you are unable to complete this drill during this time frame, please let the IMATS team know as soon as possible.
Before the drill, to help refresh your skills, please visit IMATS Online Training in MI-TRAIN.
If you have any questions specific to the IMATS Drill, contact Elizabeth Shepard or Jeannie Byrne.
ASPR has released the first four modules of the new SNS Planning, Resource, and Operations (PRO) Guide—a comprehensive resource developed to help public health, health care and emergency management professionals effectively plan for the receipt, distribution, dispensing, and administration of medical countermeasures (MCMs) deployed from the SNS during public health incidents and emergencies.
This guidance builds on the foundation of the previous “Receiving, Distributing and Dispensing Strategic National Stockpile Assets: A Guide to Preparedness, Version 11,” and reflects today’s evolving threat landscape, specifically chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, as well as pandemic influenza.
The guide will be presented as web-based modules, released in phases over the coming weeks. Each module is focused on a different topic and tailored to meet the needs of public health departments, emergency management agencies, health care providers, and medical supply chain partners. As modules are made available, they will be posted on the PRO Guide page on the SNS Technical Assistance and Resources SharePoint site.
In combination with the SNS Digital Information Toolkit and other resources on the SNS Technical Assistance and Resources SharePoint site, the SNS PRO Guide establishes a robust suite of resources to bolster your jurisdiction’s preparedness and response efforts.
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) with support from CDC launched the Strengthening Immunization Program Communications and Outreach Capacity project, funding 10 local health departments across eight states to enhance vaccine messaging. This initiative produced a comprehensive suite of culturally responsive, audience-tested communication resources.
Materials address routine childhood vaccines, respiratory viruses, and HPV, with targeted strategies for parents, adolescents, adults, and special populations such as rural and faith-based communities. Toolkits, videos, discussion guides, and evaluation tools support message development, community engagement, and trust-building. These resources aim to improve vaccine confidence and uptake by centering community voices and addressing hesitancy through inclusive, evidence-based communication. Explore NACCHO’s curated immunization communication resources to strengthen local vaccine outreach and impact.
Local health department communications professionals play a key role in positioning the department as an essential resource for the community. Through effective media relations, local health department officials can position their services as relevant and uniquely able to meet community needs, build credibility, and position themselves as trusted local leaders.
Insights From the Field: Media Tips and Resources for Local Health Departments, provides media relations information that is applicable to the needs of local health departments. It was developed by communications professionals from local health departments who are members of NACCHO’s Public Health Communications Workgroup (2024-2025).
This new resource provides tips and checklists covering a variety of topics including gathering impactful stories to share with the media, creating a press release, hosting a press conference, and talking with the media.
Additional Resource: In 2024, members of NACCHO’s Public Health Communications Workgroup released a Communications Planning Guide for Local Health Departments. The guide provides a basic framework to use when communicating specific messages to the public or segments of the public. It includes questions to consider when developing communications and evaluation strategies. The guide also includes considerations for how local health department professionals can incorporate health equity and accessibility considerations, including health literacy, into their work. Click here to learn more.
With support from CDC, NACCHO announces the launch of a new NACCHO University course: Community-Based Suicide Prevention for Local Health Departments. This free, four-module online course aims to help local health departments implement community-based suicide prevention and advance the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
In ~2 hours in total, the course will help learners apply this key resource in four distinct areas:
- Module 1: Building and Sustaining Cross- Sector Suicide Prevention Partners
- Module 2: Support Upstream Comprehensive Suicide Prevention
- Module 3: Promoting Lethal Means Safety
- Module 4: Organizing Response & Support After Suicide Attempts and Loss
Each module includes videos, key tips and strategies, examples from other local health departments, and ideas for how to get started. While designed for local health department staff, the content may also be relevant and helpful for a broad audience of organizations and groups involved in local suicide prevention, such as suicide prevention coalitions, schools, and community partners.
Have you seen a good speaker recently? Use the Great Speaker Submission Form to submit information when you hear a great speaker. This will help inform future state and regional training and educational opportunities.
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