ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – This Wednesday, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Orange County Fire Rescue and the sheriff’s office conducted a full scale exercise with actors using fake blood and weapon to play out mass shootings and other violent attacks at the Orange County Convention Center.
It’s all to prepare local first responders for the real thing.
“This exercise has been well in planning for over a year and it’s just happens to be a coincidence that it’s similar to what happened in New Orleans,” said Orange County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Mark Canty.
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Officials said they’ve seen a rise in dangerous attacks over the last decade, especially in large facilities.
“Our staff tirelessly looks, researches, and plans for every type of contingency,” Canty said. It’s not just an actual shooter at a school or mall. It’s everything that can harm this community and put it in danger.”
That’s why they’re training with the CISA to neutralize threats, carry victims to safety, control crowds, and more.
“Last year we started seeing a string of active shooter events with fire being used, so last year our drill was focused on an active shooter drill with fire as a weapon,” said Chief Martis Mack of the Orange County Fire Rescue Division.
This is first time CISA used a convention center to do a large-scale exercise, however, Orange County has done several exercises at the Millennium Mall and several other places.
“After the 2015 Paris attacks, we looked at the performing arts center. We looked at the Kia Center. We look at all these types of events and we compare our area to other places,” Canty said.
The exercise lasted around 90 minutes with more than 300 people participating. Afterwards, first responders evaluated their efforts.
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