Inside Michigan’s Disaster Response with Captain Kevin Sweeney, EMHSD, MSP

Oxygen tanks. Blocked roads. Weeks without power. When disasters hit Michigan, the hard part is rarely the headline and it’s almost always the logistics. We sit down with Captain Kevin Sweeney with the Emergency Management & Homeland Security Division for Michigan State Police to trace his path from a life of running and teaching into leading statewide disaster coordination for Michigan. We break down how Michigan responds to emergencies, why local relationships matter most, and what you can do today to be ready when power, roads, or services fail. Kevin explains the core truth that guides the work: disasters start local and end local. We talk through how the state supports local emergency managers, police, fire, and EMS by coordinating resources, activating the State Emergency Operations Center, and working with federal partners like FEMA Region 5 when incidents grow. Audio podcast & additional transcript go to: mpscs.buzzsprout.com