SUBJECT: State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Return to Normal Hours

TO: County Emergency Management Coordinators
State Department Emergency Coordinators
County Prosecutors

Dear Mayor:

On January 9, 2004, Homeland Security Department Secretary Tom Ridge announced a reduction in the National Threat Warning System from Level Orange (High) to Level Yellow (Elevated). This message enjoyed the widest media dissemination and was faxed to you for sharing with your municipalities and department employees.

As indicated in those messages, there was still a heightened level of concern for certain "critical resources and locales" in our immediate area. The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remained activated at a reduced staffing level, to ensure the capability of rapidly ramping up the response mechanism assembled and deployed over the recent holiday period.

Analysis of the current threat level supports returning to a more normal readiness posture, given our recently enhanced capability of notifying and deploying our multi-disciplined response units. The State EOC, activated since December 21, 2003, will close at 1700 hours on Friday, January 16, 2004.

The State Police Command Operations Center (COC), at Division Headquarters in West Trenton, will field all emergency calls and/or requests for assistance after normal duty hours, at night, weekends and holidays, at (609) 882-2000. Ext. 2418. The COC will call upon the State Police Counter-Terrorism Unit and the Emergency Management Section Regional Units to ensure immediate response to your needs. Please do not hesitate to call for assistance.