National volunteer response exercise to be held in Michigan | 03.19.2007 | 07:21:59 | Views: 6253 | ID: March 19 '07: The state of Michigan and the federal government are cooperating in an exercise to test the state's ability to mobilize volunteers "in the event of a federal public heath emergency," a press release from the Michigan Department of Community Health. Among those participating in the exercise: the Office of Public Health Preparedness and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Michigan was among three other states to test "a volunteer mobilization exercise that focuses on the need for hundreds of volunteers from all over the country to help in a large-scale federal disaster such as that which occurred during Hurricane Katrina," the press release read. To mobilize the volunteer force, Michigan has created the MI Volunteer Registry in 2003. The system works by establishing an alert network for volunteer responders who work as a civilian response team. The registry's project coordinator Virginia Ball said that in order to maintain contact and update the system, officials use an online credentials and registration platform based on Global Secure's Volunteer Mobilizer. "The Global Secure system allows users to select volunteers by zip code, skills, their deployment preferences. This can quickly supplement existing emergency response at the local level," the press release said.
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