New Jersey residents and first responders have been urged to avoid any downed drones as the suspected unmanned aerial vehicles persist in their disruptive flights over the state.
For almost a month, numerous drones have been seen loitering in the airspace above New Jersey, prompting concerned locals to push for an inquiry by officials into the baffling situation.
Witness accounts of drones, described as being as large as cars, meandering over the Garden State initially surfaced on November 18 in Morris County, situated approximately 30 miles to the west of New York City.
Since then, reports have continued to increase, with dozens of residents documenting video footage of mysterious flying objects in their backyards.
As lawmakers and Pentagon officials monitor the situation, New Jersey firefighters have warned residents not to approach any crashed or landed drone.
The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety has developed guidelines for residents to follow.
The bulletin states in bold letters, “Downed or landed drones should not be approached.”
If a downed or landed drone is spotted, residents are advised to contact police or fire officials.
Firefighters are also urged to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) when dealing with a downed drone.
‘NO THREAT’
On Friday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he wrote a letter to President Joe Biden, expressing his concerns about the suspected drone activity.
“Since existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter unmanned aircraft systems, more federal resources are needed to understand what is behind this activity,” Murphy said.
The governor’s uneasiness comes after the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said they had found no evidence that the mysterious drones “pose a national security or public security threat.”
“Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully,” the agencies said in a joint statement.
“There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space.”
