Thursday, April 20, 2023, between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Fifty-nine (59) hospitals throughout central Florida, along with nine county emergency management offices, the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition (CFDMC), Central Florida schools, and multiple other agencies, will conduct a full-scale mass casualty preparedness exercise. The exercise will take place at hospitals in Brevard, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Orange, Osceola, Seminole St. Lucie and Volusia Counties, will include more than 1,700 student volunteers acting as victims, along with hundreds of volunteers supporting the exercise. Students will wear makeup to simulate injuries and go into local hospital emergency departments for treatment.
The goal of the exercise is to prepare local hospitals, medical professionals, emergency response personnel, and law enforcement to respond to a catastrophic incident should it take place in Central Florida. Eric Alberts, Corporate Director for Emergency Preparedness at Orlando Health, Region 5 Domestic Security Task Force Health & Medical Co-Chair representing Hospitals, and CFDMC Board Member, states, “As we are seeing across the state, the country, and the world, emergencies and disasters continue to escalate and their ramifications continue to get magnified. It is our job to be as ready as we can be for what may happen to ensure we can serve those that rely on us when it matters most.”
Should a citizen see or hear about this exercise and call your station with concerns, please let them know it is only an exercise. The goal is to make Central Florida the safest place possible to live, work and play.
This exercise is being sponsored by the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition. The Coalition is a not-for-profit operating with a vision to create and sustain a resilient community with a common purpose and voice, protecting and saving lives during disasters of all types and sizes.
