Parrish Medical Center to Host Regional Hospital Emergency Response Training October 27-29, 2026

TITUSVILLE, FLA. (October 22, 2026)—Regional emergency response training to prepare hospital professionals from nine Central Florida counties for life-endangering catastrophes will be held October 27-29, 2026, at Parrish Medical Center.

Called HERT (Hospital Emergency Response Team) training, exercises will include responding to hazardous materials incidents, chemical exposures, patient decontamination and other emergencies. The three-day train-the-trainer event is hosted by Parrish Healthcare, Parrish Medical Center’s parent organization.

Participants will come from hospitals in counties within Region 5 of the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition (CFDMC) including: Brevard, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, St. Lucie and Volusia. The training is funded by the CFDMC and facilitated by Hot Zone USA, an emergency response, safety training and hazardous materials (hazmat) equipment provider.

“For the past decade, the annual medical surge exercise in Central Florida has highlighted the need for trained decontamination personnel at all hospitals,” said Lynne Drawdy, Executive Director of the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition. “This was once again identified as an improvement opportunity in the 2026 exercise, and Central Florida hospitals expressed the need for a decontamination train-the-trainer program to close this gap. The three-day decontamination train-the-trainer program provides hospitals with a comprehensive plan to establish, train, and maintain a decontamination team.”

Through realistic scenarios and collaborative exercises, participants will practice essential emergency response skills, including the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), patient decontamination procedures, patient safety protocols and coordination among hospital emergency response teams.

“Preparedness is the single most important step we can take to protect our North Brevard community,” said George Mikitarian, President and CEO of Parrish Healthcare. “Regional training underscores the importance of collaboration among healthcare organizations, emergency management professionals and community response partners,” Mikitarian added.

“Emergencies don’t stop at hospital boundaries, and neither should our preparedness,” said Leigh Spradling, Senior Safety and Emergency Preparedness Specialist at Parrish Healthcare. “Training together strengthens our regional partnerships and ensures we are better prepared to protect our patients, staff, and communities when it matters most.”

During the training, people visiting Parrish Medical Center or driving past the hospital may see decontamination tents and equipment set up outside the building.

“These will be part of the planned training simulation, so we want to remind and assure everyone that there will be no reason for concern,” Spradling said. “The training area will be clearly identified as part of the exercise.”