As questions persist regarding NJ drone activity, fire departments receive briefings on possible responses
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety released an intelligence bulletin to fire departments statewide with eight safety recommendations for encountering downed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAV’s.
The guidelines were created in collaboration with New Jersey State Police and the FBI Newark office.
Among the recommendations, it tells fire service members to not approach downed or landed drones and to initially evacuate the area by 330 feet in all directions.
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Firefighters are advised to utilize full personal protective equipment and to request a HAZMAT team and the nearest bomb squad.
The N.J. Division of Fire Safety writes a downed drone would be considered a law enforcement incident and that first responders should notify local law enforcement and the FBI.
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Deputy Chief Larry Fox of the Mount Laurel Fire Department said it’s all about preparedness.
"So, we have some time to slow it down a little bit, evaluate the risk. We’re going to do our best to make it safe for not only the responders and the investigators but also for the general public," said Fox. "Our initial steps of securing the scene are very similar to how we would respond to a car crash or a tractor-trailer crash on the highway. We just don’t know what the commodity is, so we’re going to evaluate that scene from a distance, trying to determine what the vehicle may or may not be carrying."
Multiple drone sightings across NJ put residents, leaders on edge
Large drones were seen flying over several locations across New Jersey, causing residents concern, as well as government leaders.
The safety recommendations sound concerning to some residents in the local area who have spotted several drones in the sky in recent days.
"I would say that first night I definitely saw at least eight. I find it to be scary, I was very freaked out, it’s unnerving. I don’t like it," said Valerie Brown of Mount Laurel. "Why are they here? Where are they coming from and what are they doing, and are they dangerous?"
"It was not a plane, it was a drone. I have a drone myself, so I can tell by the lights, the green and reds," said Deb Nath of Mount Laurel. "How does FAA not know? How does anybody not know?"