With the cruise industry firing up its engines again, South Florida first responders are putting themselves to the test.
The Broward Sheriff's Office, FBI, Coast Guard and Broward Sheriffs and Miami-Dade Fire Rescues are all working together on the ground, on the water and in the air in a full-scale exercise trying to stop an active shooter on a large party boat about a mile off the Dania Beach Pier.
BSO Colonel Steve Robson says, "It's identifying our strengths and weaknesses and crucial to understanding our capabilities of being able to respond to any crisis within the community."
Operation Iron Tide is a part of the training regime the sheriff's department's multiple disciplines go through at least yearly.
On Saturday, the country's first commercial cruise in 15 months is slated to pull out of Port Everglades.
(Photo: Getty Images North America)