Area police, fire and rescue along with emergency management are streaming to help Manhattan; all major public transportation seems paralyzed; local leaders are organizing to contend with the tragedy; most local meetings have been cancelled.

Those few on the street seemed stunned, disbelief. Details and status of thousands will be some time coming. When local officials have releases for the public, we'll post them here.

Courtesy Ed Zazzali as seen from Newark, NJ - PSEG Building

September 13, 2001 - Local Emergency Information:
To donate blood: Please call the American Red Cross – Westfield/Mountainside Chapter, (908) 232-7090; or the Tri-County Red Cross Chapter (operating out of Muhlenberg Regional Hospital), 322 West Front Street, Plainfield, covering Scotch Plains and Fanwood, (908) 756-6414; or North Jersey Blood Center, 800) 933-2566. Blood Drives: Community Blood Drive, sponsored by American Red Cross of Westfield/Mountainside, Thursday, September 20, noon to 9 p.m., The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, 140 Mountain Avenue, Westfield. For Scotch Plains and Fanwood residents: Thursday, September 13, Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Street, Cranford, 4 to 9 p.m.

To report family members missing in the World Trade Center tragedy or related emergency information, please call Westfield Police at (908) 789-4006, Scotch Plains Police at (908) 322-7100, Fanwood Police at (908) 322-5000 or Mountainside Police at (908) 232-8100.

For updated local response efforts, please stay tuned to Westfield WCTV-36, TV35-Fanwood, TV34-Scotch Plains, TV36-Mountainside/Berkeley Heights.

Counseling Services: Billington Center at Trinitas Hospital, 925 East Jersey Street, Elizabeth; Family Counseling Center, 300 North Avenue, East, Cranford; NBC-10 Counseling Center Hotline: (877) 996-2210.

Emergency Information for family members only: Department of Justice survivor/victim family hotline, (800) 331-0075. American Red Cross family inquiry alternate number, (215) 299-0134. St. Vincent’s Hospital, (212) 604-7285.

Family information on passengers on hijacked airline flights that crashed: American Airlines, (800) 245-0999. United Airlines, (800) 932-8555 

Information on Pentagon victims for families only: (877) 663-6772.
Medical Personnel and Volunteers: Registered nurses and emergency medical services, (800) 628-0193; Doctors, (518) 431-7600; all other volunteers, (800) 801-8092.
United Fund of Westfield, (908) 233-2113.
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9/11/01 - Blood Emergency Declared from NEW YORK Blood Center
Call: 1-800-933-Blood for New York Blood Center NJ Outlets

Due to this morning's hijack plane attacks on two World Trade Center buildings, resulting in unknown medical emergencies, New York Blood Center has announced a blood emergency for the greater New York/ New Jersey metropolitan area; urging all eligible donors to make a blood donation at donor sites in Manhattan at 310 East 67th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues) and 150 Amsterdam Avenue (66-67th Streets); in Brooklyn at 120 Lawrence Street near MetroTech; on Staten Island at 1625 Forest Avenue; on Long Island at 2500 Marcus Avenue in Lake Success, 3125 Veterans Highway in Bohemia; 333 Merrick Road in Rockville Centre and Route 110N in Melville/Huntington; at 167 New Street in New Brunswick, New Jersey; and 525 Executive Blvd. in Elmsford in Westchester. For more details on available donor locations, call 1-800-933-2566. Hours at all sites have been extended until further notice. Blood donors must be at least age 17, weigh more than 110 pounds and be in good general health. Photo or signature identification is required at time of donation as is knowledge of Social Security, Passport or Visa Number.
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Date: 9/11/01 3:42:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
New Jersey Declares State of Emergency. Offers to Help New York. Acting Governor Donald T. DiFrancesco has declared a state of emergency in New Jersey giving him the power to mobilize state police, the National Guard and emergency units to deal with the aftermath of Tuesday's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. New Jersey has also offered to assist New York City. About 1,000 Guardsmen are assisting troopers in closing roads and moving supplies. The state has also sent criminal investigators to lower Manhattan. DiFrancesco has asked Pennsylvania to make hospital beds available because he doesn't know if the Garden State has enough for survivors. Officials are asking people to voluntarily stay off major highways in north Jersey. Officials are asking people to voluntarily stay off major highways in north Jersey. The acting governor says some Garden State commuters may have to spend the night in New York.

5:30 - 9/11/01 - UNION COUNTY RESPONDS TO TERROR ATTACK

Union County is working with federal officials, as well as officials from New York and the State of New Jersey to assist in the response to today’s terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, said County Manager Michael Lapolla and Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. They ask that residents refrain from non-essential driving and cell phone use to leave them free for emergency officials and vehicles.

The County’s Division of Emergency Management is complying with a request from the City of New York for ambulances and emergency personnel, and has pledged any necessary emergency aid. County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich, County Police and the County’s Prosecutor’s Office are working with federal and state officials to secure roadways, government facilities and hospitals.

The County is assisting the State of New Jersey to implement the State of Emergency declared by Acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco.

Within an hour after the explosion at the World Trade Center, all non-essential Union County employees were sent home for the day. In addition, State Superior Court in Elizabeth has been closed and court employees were sent home.

“Union County is doing all it can to assist federal and state officials to respond to this emergency,” said Lapolla. “Because of our proximity to the City of New York, we are focusing on efforts to protect Union County’s residents.” “Our first thoughts are with the victims of this horrific attack and their families,” said Freeholder Chairman Mirabella.