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BSO Conducting Anti-Terrorism Training To Stay Sharp

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - A simulated crisis unfolded Thursday afternoon at the Broward Sheriff's Office designed to test the skills of the BSO SWAT Team.

The scenario -- a gang of anti-government bad guys infiltrated the Public Safety Complex.

Their aim -- take over BSO's communications center.

Within minutes, BSO's SWAT Team sprang into action.

It was all part of a domestic terrorism training exercise, one of several BSO's SWAT team performs throughout the year.

CBS 4 News cameras rolled as the SWAT team landed on the roof of the building. SWAT members gathered in the stairwell, preparing to confront the bad guys.

Gunfire (actually paint pellets) broke out and the SWAT Team took out the gang. In the exchange, three SWAT members were hit but the team was able to prevent the communications center from being overrun.

It is the type of drill that has become more commonplace for BSO since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

In fact, says BSO Lt. Greg Lees, 9/11 changed the way the agency trains.

"(Before 9/11) we weren't as concerned about IED's," he said. "We weren't concerned about chem-bio threats. We weren't concerned about a full scale terrorist attack but those things are definitely the things we're doing now."

Lees said Thursday's scenario was patterned after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India in 2008. In those attacks, several buildings -- including a hotel -- were the scenes of the assault.

Lees said Thursday's exercise went well but there were mistakes. That's the way the drill was designed.

"The scenario was made very difficult to handle," Lees said.

Sgt. Matt Patten says it was coincidental that this exercise occurred just days before the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

"It couldn't have been a more opportune time for us to do it and that's why we're doing it," Patten said. "We've got to protect ourselves and the citizens of Broward County."

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