TAMPA – Using a three-dimensional computer model, police are training to think like terrorists, creating chaos on a grid while preparing for almost any disaster.
"A command post is no longer a command post. It's a situation room and instead of having a gap waiting for something to occur, we can actually challenge ourselves going to an event to be better prepared in case we have to do something," said Capt. John Bennett of the Tampa Police Department (search).
Tampa is testing the $300,000 "site profiler" program for the Department of Homeland Security (search). The program allows cops to analyze and catalogue the city's infrastructure. The database pinpoints waterways, public arenas, hospitals and skyscrapers. It also includes employee counts so if disaster strikes, cops can find the fastest way to get people out.
Federal officials say the work Tampa cops are doing today will not eliminate the terrorist threat, but helps prepare for it.
"It's not going to solve all of your problems. It's one tool to look at the composite picture, to better understand how to secure a site or venue," said Sue Mencer, director of the office for domestic preparedness for DHS.
Click on the video box at the top of this story to watch a report by FOX News' Orlando Salinas.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox