Recent training scenarios that rattled communities in Los Angeles and Orange counties with unexpected low-flying helicopters and sounds of explosions and simulated weapon fire could likely be observed over the next two years in Southern California, an FBI official said.
The exercises are an interagency effort, Laura Eimiller, spokesperson for the FBI, said Friday. The agency trains with partners at the state, local and federal level — all part of the bureau’s routine efforts to keep American citizens safe.
Agencies are amplifying efforts ahead of many special events scheduled in the Southern California area. The World Cup launches in Los Angeles on June 11, bringing fans from around the world. It will run through July 19.
“We train on a regular basis, whether it’s our dive team, our SWAT team, our bomb techs, crisis negotiators, we have many specialty teams that conduct training on a regular basis with our partners,” Eimiller said. “With the upcoming FIFA Games, upcoming Super Bowl, and upcoming Olympics, there may be additional training with additional partners, but we conduct training on a regular basis.”
The training on Wednesday, June 3, in Pasadena included the former site of the St. Luke Medical Center on Washington Boulevard and near Alton Parkway and Irvine Boulevard in Irvine, drawing concerns from unsuspecting residents. The cities put out social media posts explaining the “military” training was underway.
On Thursday, the cities of Long Beach and Industry also issued social media alerts advising the public that they might hear loud, explosive sounds overnight.
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In Pasadena, residents posted on the city’s Facebook page following the notice about the training, questioning the timing and why it was in Pasadena. A few pointed out that it was finals week at some local school. Some speculated the military was training for urban warfare.
“I think taxpayers would be happy to know we do prepare and we do train for anything that could occur,” Eimiller said.
Eimiller said she recognizes that, though the training is somewhat routine for her agency, a notification from the bureau about it might be useful in the future, as she anticipates that the public might see more training events continue over the next two years.
“We’ll put out a social media post saying, ‘You’ll see more training with the FBI and with local partners due to the upcoming special events going on in our territory. Especially in specific areas where games will be taking place,’” she said.
“If people are concerned,” she added, “then they can call us, and we can say, ‘Yes, this is the FBI.’”
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Ruby Gonzales and Sydney Barragan contributed to this report.