Before a hurricane hits, federal, state, and local agencies work together to preposition supplies like food, water, and cots at strategic staging locations to ensure communities get what they need once the storm passes through.
Recently, two students from the bachelor’s program at Florida International University's (FIU) Academy for International Disaster Preparedness (AIDP) had the opportunity to witness these preparations firsthand during Exercise Rising Eagle, a multiday simulation hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). During the exercise, participants set up a staging location and executed activities to practice for future hurricane relief responses.
"We are proud of our partnership with FEMA, which provides our students with invaluable experiences in emergency management," said Javier I. Marques, Executive Director of AIDP, Chief of Staff, and Vice President at FIU. "We are constantly looking for opportunities to help the students of AIDP build their skills outside the classroom, and participating in exercises like this are essential for their education and professional development."
In its third year, FEMA teamed up with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Homestead Air Reserve Base Reservists and Air Force Emergency Management personnel to bring the event to life at the Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida.
An opportunity to gain new skills and network
In the summer of 2023, AIDP invited students to participate as observers in Exercise Rising Eagle. As observers, they could participate in the planning of the exercise and watch the exercise unfold having direct contact with agency and military participants.
“I am a huge proponent of hands-on, real-world experience—it’s just not something you can get in a classroom, so I signed up,” said Matthew Micalizzi, an AIDP student and a member of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Auxiliary, the civilian non-military volunteer component of USCG.
For Edward Crum, an AIDP student and combat veteran with years of experience in disaster preparedness and response, participating in the event would allow him to connect with members in the community. “Meeting professionals in the field and sharing your stories and hearing their stories—that networking is so important, not only for connections in finding employments after graduation, but for the connections after an incident," he says. "The field of disaster management consists of closely knit professionals and thanks to the opportunity FIU provided for me, I was able to introduce myself to some of the key players in this world.”
Matthew and Edward were selected through a competitive process.
“When AIDP announced the opportunity of participating in Exercise Eagle Rising, we received overwhelming interest from the students. Students were asked to write an essay as to why they should be selected and then participated in an extensive interview to gauge their commitment to the opportunity and their interest in disaster logistics," said Joann Brown, the assistant director of the AIDP Undergraduate Program. "Matthew and Edward were selected as AIDP ambassadors representing FIU at the exercise based on these factors."
In preparation for the event, Matthew and Edward were invited to listen in on Zoom meetings with FEMA and other participating agencies. “These meetings served as a touchpoint to coordinate planning and resources for the upcoming event,” Matthew says.
Preparing for the hurricane’s landfall
Trailers and trucks positioned at Homestead Air Reserve Base on the morning of April 8 in preparation for Exercise Eagle Rising
On the morning of April 8th (the first day of the two-day exercise), Edward was the first to arrive at Homestead Air Reserve Base. One of FEMA's event organizers handed him a gray vest to distinguish him as an observer. The other participants wore color-coordinated vests according to their specific roles and responsibilities.
“It was sunrise and there was a nice breeze,” Edward says. “All along the runway were multiple trailers parked about 200 yards apart.” He soon learned that each trailer had a purpose—one served as a mobile operations center, another as a FEMA warehouse, while the others were designated for areas like security, logistics, and emergency management.
Edward Crum in his gray vest at Eagle Rising Exercise
Across the airfield Edward saw semi-trucks lined up—each equipped to carry supplies like food, water, shelter, and gasoline.
The movement of supplies, equipment and personnel requires intense coordination across federal, state, and local agencies. Exercise Rising Eagle is designed to help participants understand the challenges that occur when managing complex logistics pre-disaster and help them gain the skills to boost disaster response capabilities.
“We had to coordinate how to get these trucks from one location to the next,” Edward says. “We also talked to the DLA people about security and learned how everything is GPS tracked to know where trucks are and when they arrive to their next destination.”
Edward adds that his experience with the participants was one of the highlights of the exercise.
“They just answered every question and were happy to speak to us—people from FEMA, from DLA, the Air Force base…everyone,” he says. “It was an amazing opportunity that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in.”
“The big thing that I really got out of the exercise was experience and knowledge,” Matthew says. “Getting to see these exercises as someone who doesn’t really have that real-world experience yet was something that I’m so grateful for.”