LECOM Park will be location of simulated terrorist attack during emergency response exercise

Local, state and regional agencies all will be responding to LECOM Park in Bradenton on Nov. 1 as part of a full-scale simulated terrorist attack.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 1, Operation Inshore Slam will test emergency responders by placing them inside of what a multi-pronged, complex attack during a baseball game would look like, the city of Bradenton announced Wednesday. The exercise’s goal is to provide a learning opportunity for emergency response officials by putting their plans, policies and procedures in the a simulated incident to the test.

The exercise will allow officials to measure and validate performance of those capabilities and their associated critical tasks.

The agencies taking part will include the Florida Department of Health including its Bureau of Radiation Control, the Florida Department of Environment Protection’s Environmental Response Team, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Florida National Guard’s 48th Civil Support Team, Manatee County Emergency Management, Manatee County Area Transit, Manatee County fire districts including Southern Manatee Fire District’s Special Operations Team, Manatee County Emergency Medical Services, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bradenton police and fire departments.

The exercise is sponsored by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Regional Domestic Security Task Force and is based on guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The exercise test the following capabilities:

▪  Incident command system or unified command among public safety agencies.

▪  Emergency Operations Center operation with county agencies.

▪  Communications within public safety agencies.

▪  Weapons of mass destruction or hazardous materials response.

▪  Medical surge of patients to local area hospitals.

This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "LECOM Park will be location of simulated terrorist attack during emergency response exercise."