'Suspicious Activity' at Mantua Fire Dept. Sparks Terrorism Probe

What happens when a pair of men "appearing to be of Middle Eastern descent" amble into the Mantua Township fire station and ask to take photographs of apparatus and interview fire personnel?

Well, in light of the "if you see something, say something" mindset of post-9/11 America, personnel at the department in Gloucester County on April 12 radioed their local police department, who issued a "pick up and hold" request for the two men. 

Fortunately, the incident eventually was deemed innocuous, but the way it played out was an example of how fast public safety information can travel on social media, especially when that rate of speed is acccelerated by proximity to a national tragedy such as that observed in Boston on Monday.

According to an internal security alert that was leaked on Facebook, the state Division of Fire Safety reported that "two male subjects, appearing to be of Middle Eastern descent and possibly between 25 and 30 years old walked into the fire station and asked to take photographs of the apparatus and do a video interview with personnel."

They stated the reason for this was so the information could be sent back to their country. They also stated that they wanted to obtain information from local police departments as well. Personnel advised them that this request was denied based upon security concerns. When asked for ID, one said they didn't have any. It was reported that the two men were very upset that their request was denied.

The men were "escorted out of the station," the alert said, and a description of their vehicle was sent to state and local authorities. 

"Fire and emergency response personnel are advised to have a heightened awareness of this and other similar incidents; especially considering the attacks at the Boston Marathon," according to the alert. 

A statement issued Wesnesday afternoon by the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety sought to calm those fears, again citing the heightened sense of alarm predicated by the bombings on Monday in its message:

Law enforcement has determined that these individuals do not pose a specific threat. However, in light of Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon, we want to reassure the public that we have no credible evidence that these individuals intended to do any harm. We encourage all citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and report suspicious activity or suspicious behavior to law enforcement.

That sentiment was echoed in a Facebook status update from the New Jersey State Police at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, which assured the public that the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the incident and deemed it "innocent in nature.

"Tips about suspicious activities are very important, and this incident is a perfect example of how the system works," the update indicated.

"Please continue to report suspicious activity to New Jersey’s tip line at 1-866-4-SAFE NJ (866-472-3365) and keep this number in your mobile phones."