MIAMI – South Florida law enforcement officers converged at a Port Miami parking garage Tuesday night, responding to a staged active shooter incident with hostages.
The drills are all part of what authorities are calling Operation Heat Shield IV.
Port Miami is known as the cruise capital of the world. Tens of thousands of cruise passengers pass through there each day, and that’s why law enforcement used it as the location for a simulated terrorist attack.
It’s a vital exercise in making sure that law enforcement agencies in our area remain prepared for the worst.
“That in case there is an event that requires our capabilities to come together and act as one, we’re able to know what are capabilities are,” said Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales.
In this scenario, a terrorist group has taken hostages inside the port and a sniper from the group stands posted up to attack first responders.
Hundreds from police and fire rescue groups from Palm Beach to Miami-Dade counties participated in the exercise.
“Communication skills, radio interoperability, whether they can talk to each other, incident command, how different departments work, bureaucracy, policies, things that we normally see interfere in any kind of event,” said Miami-Dade Police Maj. Arnold Palmer.
Amid gunfire, SWAT teams rushed into the port terminal as crisis actors ran out.
“We try to defeat ourselves with these scenarios so that if and when, by in bad faith, something comes to visit Dade County, we are ready to respond appropriately,” Palmer said.
After the gunmen have been taken down, local paramedics triaged the fake victims, with patches of red tape simulated gunshot wounds.
The exercise was designed to feel as realistic as possible.
“Every time there’s an incident in America, we learn from it, every time there’s an unfortunate act, there’s a learning opportunity,” said Palmer.
Training didn’t only happen at Port Miami.
Drills also took place at Miami International Airport and Booker T. Washington High School.
The involved law enforcement agencies will analyze what went right and what went wrong during Tuesday’s exercises and try to work out any kinks so they are prepared should anything like this ever actually happen.