Police prepare for shootings and other terrible events

South Florida police and other law enforcement agencies have been preparing for the worst the past couple of days.

The United States Postal Inspection Service in cooperation with local first responders will be conducting "an interagency emergency preparedness drill" starting at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Oakland Park Boulevard post office on Thursday.

What that means is multiple police agencies are going to swarm the area to practice tactics and the handling of a major event, such as a shooter on the loose.

This comes one day after Miami-Dade and Miami police, Customs and Border Patrol agents as well as the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue ran a drill in and around the Adrienne Arsht Center in downtown Miami.

That exercise tested tactical teams on their response and coordination during a live shooter call.

The USPIS said Thursday's drill at the post office, 1900 W. Oakland Park Blvd., is expected to test its agents as well as local police and emergency medical service agencies from Broward.

Although the first responders and the postal inspectors will be on site between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., the drill is not supposed to disrupt delivery operations or service at the post office's lobby, the Postal Inspection Service said in a news release.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 9:40 AM with the headline "Police prepare for shootings and other terrible events."