Safety Training Institute Behind Sounds Of Bullets & Bombs Coming From Doral Field
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Have you ever heard sounds of gunfire, bombs or explosives coming from a field in the middle of Doral? Over the years, the alarming sounds have prompted plenty of people to call 911 only to find out the people who protect us are the ones making all of the noise.
"We have explosives, we have bomb units, we have a myriad of things making noises," said Carlos Gonzalez, the director of the Miami-Dade Public Safety Training Institute.
The 15-acre facility is just west of the Palmetto Expressway in Doral.
"We have hundreds of different trainings," said Gonzalez.
This place is a well-oiled machine with anywhere from 600 to 1,000 people practicing here daily. The facility opens at the crack of dawn. And from five in the morning to 11 at night, no time is wasted.
"We practice a lot. Our goal is to maintain efficiency, so everyone here knows what they're doing. We have multiple resources, multiple units that train here," explained Gonzalez.
High liability instructors or "red shirts" for short, oversee each part of the facility. Gun ranges, special operations training, the department's own urban city, you name it, they have it.
To limit the surprise factor in the field, Miami-Dade police officers have the option to train here daily but they're not the only ones using the facility.
"We have people from across the nation, across the world training here," said Gonzalez.
Local, state and federal agencies to name a few.
"We have individuals who are very fluent in the language and tactical knowledge that these individuals need from us."
While the training is excessive, noisy, and startling at times, Gonzalez said it's all part of keeping 3,000-plus officers trained to the highest level possible, which is key in protecting the people of Miami-Dade County.
"We're meeting what the communities need are and we're fulfilling what they deserve from us, to protect and serve," said Gonzalez.