Port Canaveral Conducts Full-Scale Training Exercise To Test Emergency Response Plans

hypothetical scenario involved an active shooter

Nearly 400 Participants Take Part in Nation’s Largest Full-Scale Exercise

BREVARD COUNTY • PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – Port Canaveral was the site today for a full-scale training exercise designed to test emergency response and recovery plans for a major incident staged at the Port’s Cruise Terminal 5.

The Canaveral Port Authority, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Canaveral Fire Rescue sponsored the exercise to assess public safety response capabilities and future training requirements.

The exercise took place over a nearly five hour period with more than 400 participants from across the United States taking part in various roles.

“Today’s exercise is the result of 18-months of planning and preparation,” said Port CEO Captain John Murray.

“The safety and security of our port is not happenstance. It takes a tremendous amount of training and teamwork among and between all the professionals dedicated to the safety of our facilities, employees, partners and guests, as well as our surrounding community.”

The exercise incident and response scenario was designed by Port Canaveral safety and security officials, in cooperation with multiple law enforcement and first responder agencies, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C.

The primary objective of the large scale public safety exercise was to assess plans, procedures, and resources required at the local, regional, state and federal agency levels to respond to an incident at Port Canaveral.

The hypothetical scenario involved an active shooter near the security checkpoint within the Port’s cruise terminal.

The exercise was supported by multiple federal, state, and local interagency and industry partners, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Brevard County Emergency Management, and Brevard County Fire and Rescue.

U.S. DHS provided assistance in the planning and organization of today’s exercise, which was the largest event of its type held in the United States this year.

A world-class gateway for cruises, cargo, recreation and logistics, as well as a gateway to new frontiers, including space, Port Canaveral hosts more than 4 million revenue cruise passengers through its state-of-the-art terminals and 5.5 million of tons of cargo annually, including bulk, break-bulk, project, and containerized.

In addition to world class cruise facilities and diverse cargo operations, Port Canaveral offers more recreational opportunities than all other Florida deep-water seaports combined, including public parks, free public boat ramps, marinas, an entertainment district, and the seven-story interactive exhibit and event venue Exploration Tower.

For more information, visit PortCanaveral.com

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