In this update:

• Noontime Nugget
• Power of Communications #1: Navigating Conflict and Communication Issues with Teams and Partners in Rural Settings (Live Webinar)
• ICS-300 & ICS-400 Coming to Lansing
• Emergency Management Related Training Opportunities
• Updated CDC Hurricane, Flooding, and Similar Disasters Communication Resources
• Strategic National Stockpile Guidance on Federal and Jurisdictional Stockpiling Roles
• PER-294: Testing an Emergency Operations Plan in a Rural EOC
• Great Speaker Submission Form

Upcoming events:

January

30 | Mid-year progress report due.
30 | JSA Update due from non-CRI health departments

February  

12 | Monthly PHEP partners meeting on Teams
16 | Presidents Day – State of Michigan offices closed.

Noontime Nugget

The next Noontime Nugget will be January 27, 2026. The topic will be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant webinars and meetings (90 minutes).

Join us every fourth Tuesday of the month at noon to learn more about DEPR's different programs and software.

Power of Communications #1: Navigating Conflict and Communication Issues with Teams and Partners in Rural Settings (Live Webinar)

The Region V Public Health Training Center is partnering with Public Health Prepared to provide a series on the Power of Communications. This is a 4-part series on rural health communications. Here is some information about the first session:

• This first session is about navigating conflict/communications issues with teams and partners.
• Save the date: February 26, 2026, from 12-1:30 PM ET

Session 2 will focus on navigating conflict/communications issues with the public, and sessions 3 and 4 will focus on navigating these issues with the media. Participants are encouraged to attend as many sessions as they are interested in. Stay tuned for more information!

ICS-300 & ICS-400 Coming to Lansing

Sign up now for ICS-300 and ICS-400 sessions at BEPESoC in Lansing. These sessions will be taught by public health, and while open to everyone, will have examples related to public health and healthcare.

EMS credits are available upon completion of these courses. Please refer to the Standardized Continuing Education Credits Guidebook for more information.

Prerequisites: FEMA IS 100, 200, 700 and 800 as well as ICS 300, if signing up for ICS 400.

ICS 300 – March 25-27, 2026
ICS 400 – May 20-21, 2026

These courses are available in the MSP Professional Development Learning Center.

To set up PDLC access see these instructions:

• Create a MiLogin 
• Download MI-TRAIN Certificate(s) and Transcript (PDF) (VIDEO)
• Add External Training to PDLC (PDF) (VIDEO)
• PDLC User Guide (PDF)

For PDLC questions: MSP-PDLC-Support@michigan.gov

For course session questions: Kerry Chamberlain – chamberlaink2@michigan.gov

Emergency Management Related Training Opportunities

The Kent County Emergency Management has published a list of trainings and exercises it will be hosting in 2026. These training courses are open to anyone who meets the prerequisites for each course.

Updated CDC Hurricane, Flooding, and Similar Disasters Communication Resources

CDC has updated its online course titled, "Preparedness and Safety Messaging for Hurricanes, Floods, and Similar Disasters Virtual Training". This self-paced course helps public health and emergency management partners develop public health disaster messages during real-world disaster scenarios.

Participants can practice using the updated Preparedness and Safety Messaging for Hurricanes, Flooding, and Similar Disasters guidance document, which can be used to create media talking points, social media messages, fact sheets, and other communications materials for use before, during, and after hurricanes, flooding, and similar weather events.

The 2025 course also enhances knowledge and competency in Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication practices, includes new resources and examples, and offers continuing education credits.

Strategic National Stockpile Guidance on Federal and Jurisdictional Stockpiling Roles

The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has announced publication of the Strategic National Stockpile Guidance on Federal and Jurisdictional Stockpiling Roles. This guidance is also available on the centralized Jurisdictional Stockpile Program page of the SNS Technical Assistance and Resources SharePoint site.
Please note authentication is required to access the SharePoint site. If this is your first time accessing the SNS Technical Assistance and Resources SharePoint site, please select request access.

This guidance is intended to support state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) public health jurisdictions in planning and establishing jurisdictional stockpiles of emergency medical countermeasures (MCMs). It clearly defines the complementary stockpiling roles of the federal government and jurisdictions and categorizes MCMs into three stockpiling types to support clear planning and reduce duplication:

• Type I – Federally Stockpiled (SNS-Held) MCMs
• Type II – Shared / Jurisdictionally Supplemented MCMs
• Type III – Jurisdictionally Stockpiled MCMs

This guidance emphasizes risk-based, jurisdiction-specific planning informed by local threat and hazard identification and risk assessments, other relevant risk data, and identified community needs. It also underscores the importance of prioritizing commercially available countermeasures that can be stored at the jurisdictional level, ensuring faster, more immediate access to lifesaving MCMs while federal assets are mobilized during responses requiring SNS support.

PER-294: Testing an Emergency Operations Plan in a Rural EOC

The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) would like to invite you to request this free course. This 8-hour performance-level, instructor-led course is designed to prepare rural first responders and local volunteers with the basic knowledge, skills and abilities to test an emergency operations plan in an emergency operations center in their local jurisdiction or region. View the full course description here. 

This course may be delivered locally at no cost to participants or local hosts.

This training benefits those working in law enforcement, public health, healthcare, emergency management, volunteers, and more.

If you have any questions, please contact Dan Charles, Director, Northwest Arkansas Community College Institute for Corporate and Public Safety.

Great Speaker Submission Form

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.

Regional Points of Contact

Region 1: Denise Fleming
Region 2N & 2S: Jeannie Byrne
Region 3: Jim Koval
Region 5: April Walton
Region 6: Jessica Gould
Region 7: Jeannie Byrne
Region 8: Kerry Chamberlain
Tribes: Terra Riddle
DEPR Finance: DHHS-DEPR-Finance@michigan.gov 
PHEP: MDHHS-DEPR-PHEP@michigan.gov

This message is being sent to the Division of Emergency Preparedness & Response, Tribal Health Care Coordinator, Local Health Department Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Local Health Department Health Officer, and Regional Epidemiologist mailing lists.