ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Central Florida isn\u2019t facing an immediate storm threat, but Orlando firefighters and city partners spent Thursday preparing for what could come next during hurricane season.<\/p>\n
The Orlando Fire Department held \u201cOperation Storm Shield,\u201d a hurricane readiness exercise at the city\u2019s Emergency Operations Center. Participants worked through a simulated major hurricane in three phases \u2014 before the storm, during the storm and after \u2014 aimed at identifying gaps in response plans now, before a real emergency.<\/p>\n
City leaders pointed to recent storms as reminders of how quickly conditions can change. Hurricane Ian in 2022 brought flooding and damage across Orlando, and Nicole followed with impacts that included downed trees. In 2024, Milton moved through the area, again testing local response and recovery efforts.<\/p>\n
The drill also reflected lessons learned from past flooding in neighborhoods near the University of Central Florida, where heavy rain and storm impacts triggered what officials described as catastrophic conditions.<\/p>\n
Assistant Chief Emanuel Washington, who oversees EMS operations for the department, said planning begins about 72 hours before a storm arrives.<\/p>\n
\u201cPre-storm, which is 72 hours before the storm, we have to go into the planning phase of what are we doing and coordinating before the actual storm hits,\u201d Washington said. \u201cAnd then once we get into the EOC, we have during the storm, we have when to respond, not to respond \u2014 all those different things \u2014 and then after the storm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Washington said information from emergency hotlines is routed into the operations center, where officials determine how to deploy crews and resources based on what residents report.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you call those hotlines \u2014 emergency information hotline \u2014 that information gets poured into here,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then now we decipher to see what needs to be sent out, resources, whether it\u2019s cutting trees, down lines, trap people, or, like, flooding \u2014 different things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Orlando fire officials said staffing and equipment needs can change rapidly depending on a storm\u2019s track and impacts, requiring coordination across agencies and, at times, all hands on deck.<\/p>\n
While Thursday\u2019s exercise focused on hurricanes, the department said the training is designed to strengthen preparation for other major emergencies as well.<\/p>\n
Tropics Watch<\/p>\n
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