04/08/2026
On Thursday, April 9, 2026 between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., Central Florida will hold the largest medical surge exercise in the nation – Operation Skyfall. The Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition and the Tampa Bay Health and Medical Preparedness Coalition jointly sponsor this exercise. These coalitions are federally funded not-for-profits whose mission is to help the healthcare system prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
Hospitals, along with county emergency management offices, the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, local law enforcement, EMS agencies, public health, schools and universities, and many other healthcare organizations and community partners, are participating in this full-scale mass casualty exercise
In East Central Florida, the exercise will take place at every hospital in Brevard, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, St. Lucie and Volusia Counties, and will include approximately 2,200 student volunteers acting as victims. Students will wear makeup to simulate injuries and go into local hospital emergency departments for treatment. Emergency Management in Seminole, Orange, Osceola and Brevard Counties and the City of Orlando will activate their Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) during the exercise to practice real-time Emergency Operations Center response with participating hospitals.
In West Central Florida, the majority of hospitals will participate in Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter Counties, testing their facility mass casualty and medical surge plans. A wide variety of other health care organization types, ranging from skilled nursing and assisted living facilities to home health agencies and dialysis clinics, will also participate to exercise their emergency plans and test coordination efforts with their County Emergency Operations Centers.
Why do we invest in this annual exercise? Eric Alberts, Assistant Vice President of Emergency Management at Orlando Health and CFDMC Board Chair, said “These very large exercises help us be better prepared for the uncertainty of this world. It is up to us to better plan, equip, train, and practice what we teach. This exercise encapsulates all these efforts and builds on our levels of readiness and responsiveness; while ensuring we can continue to care for the communities we serve. “
Alan Harris, MS, CEM, FPEM, NEMEA, Director, Seminole County Office of Emergency Management, stated, “During times of global uncertainty and conflict, it is essential that the emergency management and healthcare communities remain prepared for all hazards. Complex coordinated attack scenarios represent a plausible threat that could significantly strain both healthcare systems and emergency response capabilities. Exercises like this allow emergency management and response partners to strengthen coordination, refine critical skills, and ensure we are prepared to manage large-scale disasters while continuing to respond effectively to everyday emergencies.
“The FBI places a high priority on preparation which includes establishing resourceful partnerships before any crisis event. These exercises are vital to ensuring a robust, comprehensive, and collaborative response to a mass casualty incident,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor.
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Should a citizen see or hear about this exercise and call your station, please let them know it is a planned exercise. The goal is to make Central Florida the safest place possible to live, work and play.
