ORLANDO, Fla. – The Central Florida Intelligence Exchange will be on 24-hour shifts starting June 10 as the one-year anniversary since the Pulse nightclub shooting nears.
Forty-nine people were killed and dozens were injured in the June 12 mass shooting at gay Orlando club.
CFIX Director Capt. Al Rollins told News 6 that the plans for extended shifts were finalized about two months ago to make sure staff is in place to handle information that needs to be vetted, researched and confirmed.
"We are an all-crimes, all-hazards fusion center," Rollins said. "Counterterrorism is just a small aspect of the work we do here. We’re going to be basically sitting here on point, waiting for information to come in to analyze and push out to our partners."
Rollins said his team will look for patterns in any information that is delivered from field sources, including an estimated 800 intelligence liaison officers (ILOs) in the nine-county region.
"On our best day, we have 18 agencies represented here," Rollins said. "We analyze information to make sure that it is valid. That request can come from law enforcement agencies or the ILOs in the field."
Security experts said there is a sense of uncertainty because of ISIS' use of the Ramadan holy month as a platform for violence. The radical group has taken credit for recent attacks in Afghanistan, Manchester and London.
Orange County sheriff's deputies were the first to respond Monday morning to an active shooter call in which a gunman killed five former coworkers at Fiamma, a company that makes awnings on North Forsyth Road in Orange County, before turning the gun on himself.
The FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were at the scene to assist in the investigation, and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs was there to show support.
Several agency representatives stressed that the Orlando shooting was not terrorist-inspired, but Jacobs told reporters that residents shouldn’t let their guards down.
Rollins said awareness is the biggest key, and he urged residents to follow the philosophy of "see something, say something."
“It’s Ramadan. It's a holy month, so I know what it’s supposed to mean," Rollins said. "As long as we’re communicating, as long as we’re sharing information, then hopefully we can be ahead of the game."
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