For Immediate Release
November 19, 2019 

TAMPA, Fla. – Members of the Tampa Bay Regional Child Abduction Response Team (CART) are conducting a full-scale exercise at the Florida State Fairgrounds in and around the Expo Hall on Wednesday, November 20, from 7 a.m. until 12 p.m.
                           
The exercise scenario simulates a child abducted by a stranger while waiting for a school bus.  CART is a planned and organized multi-agency response to an abducted or missing child.  Time is critical in the safe recovery of a child.  CART planning and training saves time by identifying assets and resources and establishing protocols, increasing the odds of recovering a child safely.  
 
Citizens will notice increased law enforcement and emergency response presence in and around the Florida State Fairgrounds during the day on Wednesday.  This is only a training exercise. 
 
FDLE Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister will be available to speak to reporters about this exercise at noon on Wednesday, November 20, at the Florida State Fairgrounds.   Reporters will have the opportunity to get b-roll of the exercise in a designated area; please use the Orient Road entrance and follow the signs.  Press credentials should be visible.   
 
For Further Information Contact:
Gretl Plessinger, Jessica Cary, or Jeremy Burns
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001