MIAMI – The UHealth partnered with local and federal agencies on Sunday to conduct a crisis exercise.
It’s a drill designed to test the capabilities of first responders, health system operations and other emergency officials in order to prepare for a real-life scenario.
That drill got underway around 8:30 a.m. and it was expected to last through at least the early afternoon.
Several streets in the area of Northwest 12th Avenue and 14th Street, right next to the Sylvester Cancer Center on the south end of Jackson Memorial Hospital Campus, were closed due to the event.
The simulation was designed to mimic a mass casualty event involving a plane that has crashed into a bus carrying foreign diplomats.
A Miami-Dade MetroBus could be seen resting on its side, along with an aircraft fuselage, which is designed to be part of a downed plane.
Organizers came up with the scenario in order to test their crews’ response to a unique and potentially dangerous situation.
As a result, they really went out of their way to make the drill feel as real as possible. That included bringing in more than 70 actors to play some of the victims.
In all, nearly 20 agencies took part in the event, including City of Miami police, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the FBI and even members of the French consulate.
The simulation is expected to last several hours before wrapping up around lunchtime.