STAY AWAY
Fire crews ordered to wear hazmat suits before approaching mystery drones after hundreds spotted over US skies
One Republican lawmaker made wild claims about the origins of the unidentified drones
FIREFIGHTERS have been ordered to wear hazmat suits in case a drone crashes to earth as the suspected unmanned aircraft continue to terrorize the night skies.
A New Jersey mayor fueled panic as hundreds of drones have reportedly been spotted hovering over airspace for nearly a month, leading frightened locals to call on lawmakers to investigate.
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Belleville Mayor Michael Melham said on Friday that his fire department was briefed by state officials on what to do if one of the "SUV-sized" drones flying over the Garden State suddenly drops.
“That guidance does say two different things: First of all, if there is a downed drone in our vicinity, we are immediately to call the bomb squad of our county," Melham said on Fox News.
"And second, our fire department has been instructed to make sure they wear hazmat suits."
The mystery floaters were first reported on November 18 in Morris County, about 30 miles west of New York City.
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Since then, reports have continued to increase, with dozens of residents documenting video footage of mysterious flying objects from their backyards.
Since then, reports have continued to increase, with dozens of residents documenting video footage of mysterious flying objects from their backyards.
Unidentified drones have also since been seen in an increasing number of states, including New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, leading officials to investigate.
As lawmakers and Pentagon officials monitor the situation, New Jersey firefighters have warned residents not to approach any crashed or landed drone.
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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.
'NO THREAT'
Following what Melham said, firefighters are also urged to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) when dealing with a downed drone.
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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.
State officials have been unable to verify any of the more than 3,000 reports of drones hovering in the night skies over the past several weeks.
The drone phenomenon has even been reported in New York and Connecticut.
'SIX FEET LONG'
New Jersey Senator Andy Kim said he went out with local police on Thursday night and spotted drones flying over Hunterdon County.
"This has gone on for weeks. It’s hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren’t able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and counter measures," Kim wrote on an X thread.
State Assemblymember Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to "six feet in diameter" and impossible to detect by monitoring radio frequencies.
Drone spottings
Drone sightings have been reported all across the East Coast since they were first seen in Morris County, New Jersey, in mid-November.
Some of the locations where the drones were reported include:
- New Jersey
- Parts of New York City
- Eastern Pennsylvania counties
- Maryland
The uneasiness from state leaders 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.
Sightings have been reported at a Bedminster golf course, owned by President-elect Donald Trump, and near a military research facility.
However, the security agencies rebutted the reports, saying there have been "no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul doubled down on public safety concerns, saying there is no evidence that the reported drones pose any threat.
"We know New Yorkers have spotted drones in the air this week & we are investigating," Hochul said on X.
"At this time, there's no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat. We are coordinating with federal partners including FBI & DHS to protect New Yorkers."
'IRANIAN MOTHERSHIP'
Republican Jeff Van Drew, a Representative of New Jersey, accused the Pentagon of hiding the truth about the mysterious drones from the American public.
Van Drew also made wild claims that the drones were being launched from an Iranian "mothership" vessel off the East Coast.
"Iran launched a mothership probably about a month ago that contains these drones," Van Drew said, citing "high sources."
"That mothership is off... the East Coast of the United States of America. They've launched drones into everything that we can see or hear.
"And again, these are from high sources. I don't say this lightly."
Van Drew added that the drones should be "shot down."
But Pentagon officials denied the representative's claims, saying there is no evidence of an Iranian vessel.
"There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there's no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh remarked on Wednesday.
Governor Murphy also rejected Van Drew's claims, accusing the representative of fearmongering.
"I’m not sure what he’s been watching lately, but he might want to watch the news,” he said.
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"Israel has decapitated Iran, and we have, through economic sanctions … So let’s not try to fear monger this.
"Let’s try to honestly put our heads down with a sense of urgency, based on facts, and try to figure this out together."
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