The Miami-Dade County Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEM&HS) recently hosted approximately 60 students and teachers from South Dade Senior High School in Homestead and Eugenia E. Thomas Middle School in Doral to participate in a simulated activation of the County's Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

The students, who are involved in a magnet program to study emergency management, role-played elected officials, emergency management coordinators and other key personnel during a fictional Category 3 hurricane that struck Miami-Dade. Three DEM&HS coordinators assisted the students during the exercise. The simulation was coordinated by StormZone, a Miami-based non-profit organization that teaches emergency management to middle and high school students.

Click on each photo to enlarge. 

	Students track the hurricane and share emergency information in the EOC Operations Room.
	StormZone president Lucien "Bay" Proby (blue shirt) and DEM&HS coordinator Lorenzo Sanchez assist students during the simulation.
	DEM&HS coordinator Mirtha Gonzalez guides a student through a scenerio during the simulation.
	Students from South Dade Senior High School and Eugenia B. Thomas Middle School role-play as elected officials and news reporters during a mock news conference.
	Students from Eugenia B. Thomas Middle School watch the mock news conference on the EOC monitors.