PortMiami and other parts of Miami-Dade will see an uptick in police officers starting Tuesday afternoon as numerous state and local law enforcement agencies carry out exercises to improve their terrorism response capabilities.
The Southeast Regional Domestic Security Task Force, a regional organization made up of area sheriffs, public health agencies, hospitals, police and fire departments, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, will be hosting Operation Heat Shield IV, the Miami Police Department announced Monday in a news release.
“Operation Heat Shield IV offers regional first responders a series of unique and realistic drills designed around real-world scenarios that test unified command capabilities,” police said. “The partnership and participation in (the operation) ensures that we are better prepared to mitigate, respond to, and recover from a terrorist attack.”
The full-scale exercise will begin 4:00 p.m. Tuesday at PortMiami, followed by a series of drills from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. of the following day throughout the county.