BREAKING NEWS
Afterschool activities including athletic events for Lawrence Township Public schools have been canceled and the State Police has activated local emergency management offices across New Jersey in the wake of several terrorist attacks throughout the United States.
Lawrence Township Public Schools remain open today, according to the district superintendent’s office. However, all afterschool programs have been canceled.
According to the State Police, there are no emergencies in the Lawrence area, though the nearby Mercer County Airport has been closed. The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all flights across the country.
"We are monitoring the situation at this time," said Lawrence Township Emergency Management Coordinator Dale Robbins. A state of emergency has not been declared in the township, he said. Township Police Chief John Prettyman said the department is on "heightened alert."
Public buildings or places where the public may gather, such as churches or synagogues are receiving extra attention, said Chief Prettyman.
The Lawrence Township First Aid and Rescue Squad’s rescue vehicle has been sent to Hudson County for backup, said Chief Prettyman.
Off-duty Lawrence Police officers have been called in, he said. One township police officer, Mike Yeh, is a member of a state urban rescue team and has been called to duty, said Chief Prettyman.
The National Guard Headquarters on Eggerts Crossing Road has been put on a state of alert.
Ray Martyniuk, public affairs officer for the National Guard, said this morning that the normal reaction in response to a situation like this is to "increase the level of alert."
This includes the calling up of key personnel to offer assistance in emergencies in the New York area. This is mostly in the form of medical personnel, he said.
Bridges and tunnels between New York and New Jersey have been closed. The four emergency management centers in New Jersey have been activated. The main emergency management center is in neighboring West Trenton at the State Police Barracks, said Mr. Martyniuk.
All further instructions and information must come from either the governor or State Police Chief Carson Dunbar.
The job of the state emergency management center is to coordinate reports from county coordinators and provide aid in response to those reports, according to State Police Sgt. Al DellaFave.
Northbound traffic beyond exit 11 on the New Jersey Turnpike has been suspended.
The Central Jersey Chapter of the American Red Cross is taking the lead in disaster relief for the state of New Jersey, according to Christine Gazzara, communications associate.
"We’ve activated our disaster response center," she said. "We’re trying to get to two emergency response vehicles into New York to assist."
All volunteers not just disaster response, but also mental health, physical care and mass care volunteers throughout the state are on alert and currently being polled for availability so they may be sent to New York or other areas impacted by the emergency.
All other state Red Cross chapters are also on alert.
"We want to help American Red Cross chapters everywhere," Ms. Gazzara said.
Quaker Bridge Mall on Route 1 in Lawrence remains open, though many vendors have taken the mall up on its approval for individual vendors to decide to close, according to mall Manager John Ferreira.
Vendors were granted permission to close around 1 p.m. and many employees have begun to filter out of mall, said Mr. Ferreira. There, of course, will come a point when so many stores have closed that it will force a mall closing, he said.
Check This Web site regularly for breaking information on how the terrorist attacks are affecting Lawrence Township.
Staff writers Steve Feitl, Lea Kahn and Steve Bates, managing editor, contributed to this report.

