I got some inside scoops from a relative who works on St George St.


The reports about what happened at the fort are attached below.


What kind of security company runs a  training exercise without coordinating with law enforcement? Apparently the kind who ran one at the Castillo San Marco today. After someone reported suspicious activity involving a backpack, the fort was closed and evacuated. The road, San Marco, was also closed from the fort to the bridge of Lions. After investigating and determining there was no threat, an hour later everything went back to normal, or so the articles say, but that isn't what I heard from someone who was working nearby.


The wave of fear that rocked the workers and tourists in downtown St Augustine traveled from shop to shop through the historic district and down St George street by word of mouth until the episode came to an end. The call I got from a relative was first of all to let me know they were okay in case I had heard about it and secondly so that I could go online and find out what happened. No one was quite sure other than it was over and a false alarm.


On line, not much was reported at that time so I wasn't a lot of help. But, the repercussions became clear on what should have been a busy day before Thanksgiving for one of the most visited cities in America. I was told that the shop did almost two thousand dollars the day before and only a little over 400 dollars on this day. Apparently tourists became alarmed and left the area. The workers had been traumatized as well and at least those in the shop I got the call from were emotionally drained and not good for much for the rest of the day.


Thank God it was a false alarm but it still had a negative impact. St Augustine is one of the towns ISIS named on a list of targets back in February and with recent events that makes everyone a little more on edge as well.


I thought this was a curious detail; in one report I read, the security business had commented that because one of their members was "mediterranian" that might have added to the suspicion where otherwise there might not have been any. I doubt that but lets say it was a factor for now. It doesn't really matter to the outcome. However, this makes me wonder, are we training potential trouble again like we did the pilots involved in 911? How well are the employees of such a company screened? What great help would it be to those with bad intentions to get such training in order to know what NOT to do to look suspiciuos?


For those who will not rest well tonight and who lost money or changed their vacation plans, in this case all was not well for something that relatively ended well. At least everyone got to go home and continue on with their lives. For that, I am thankful and so were they.



Copyright 2015 Wanda Hope Carter all rights reserved that are not otherwise assigned. No duplication, downloads, framing, publication or sharing online except by link to this page permitted without express written permission.

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Randall Covey, Russian Hacker
Sounds like a SNAFU, to me.
  • November 26, 2015
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Linda Mihalic
Tweeted
  • November 26, 2015
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Janice  Vicks
I can see where it might be on their list but you would think they would rather go after one of the big cities if they were going to do something. I pray we never find out.
  • November 27, 2015
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