BEP's contain information for a variety of emergency situations, including medical emergencies, power outages, hazardous material spills, fires, bomb threats, civil disturbances, and earthquakes.
A department official said Friday that the social network monitoring program did not produce reports about public opinion, but instead focused exclusively on monitoring crises like hazardous material spills, shooting incidents and natural disasters.
The teams were trying to determine the extent of damage to sewage and water plants in at least 13 towns, including chemical and other hazardous material spills and leaks, said Justin Johnson, deputy commissioner of the environmental department.
Page B3 SCHOOL DRILLS FOR DIRE SITUATIONS In the wake of recent school shootings, the traditional fire drill has been replaced in many New Jersey schools by dry runs for mass shootings, hazardous material spills and bomb threats, as schools and police officials prepare for the most dire situations.
"Now, in a ritual reminiscent of the 1950s, when students ducked under desks and covered their heads in anticipation of nuclear blasts, many schools are preparing for, among other emergencies, bomb threats, hazardous material spills, shelter-in-place preparation (in which students would use schools as shelters if a dirty bomb's plume were to spread dangerously close) and armed, roaming sociopaths".
Gone are the days when volunteers in street clothes responded to only house fires: Volunteer departments are now expected to battle blazes at industrial and commercial complexes and high-rise buildings and respond to scenes of natural disasters, hazardous material spills, water-rescue emergencies and carbon-monoxide calls.
Bags with sensitive material spill onto the floor.
No one was hurt and no material spilled into the waterway, he said.
Tons of material spilled into the river and washed down in 1958 when a wall at one reservoir gave way.
None of the material spilled or leaked and there was no danger to the public, police and environmental officials said.
Readings by the city's Department of Environmental Protection indicated that none of the material spilled and that residents of the area were in no danger, Mr. Andrews said.
