The rise of attacks in large public areas prompted the exercise, reports say.
On January 1, 2025, 15 people were killed, including the perpetrator, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The incident was deemed an act of domestic terror and demonstrated the continued rise of attacks in large, public environments. As Click Orlando reported, “Officials said they’ve seen a rise in dangerous attacks over the last decade, especially in large facilities.”
This response came from a planned large-scale exercise in Orange County, Central Florida, which allowed first responders to practice in the event of a possible attack. Taking place at the Orlando Convention Center, the exercise included over 300 people and took place over 90 minutes; Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Orange County Fire Rescue, and the sheriff’s office were all involved.
The teams “conducted a full-scale exercise with actors using fake blood and weapons to play out mass shootings and other violent attacks” 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,” Orange County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Mark Canty explained (via Click Orlando). “Our staff tirelessly looks, researches, and plans for every type of contingency. 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.”
Chief Martis Mack of the Orange County Fire Rescue Division added: “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.”
Orange County is, of course, home to many large-scale event spaces, not to mention the sprawling Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando resorts, meaning there are plenty of opportunities for big groups of people to gather together. In fact, while incidents are few and far between at the theme parks, Disney World guests were shocked when a potential active shooter situation took place at Magic Kingdom Park last year. Fortunately, the event turned out to be a false alarm.
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