First responders across Mercer County put their emergency response capabilities to the test during a comprehensive active shooter drill, a collaborative effort between NJOHSP and the Mercer County Rapid Response Task Force. The exercise was held on April 30 in Trenton.

Local first responders, including law enforcement, fire safety, and emergency medical service personnel participated in two scenarios that focused on:

• Testing the Mercer County Rapid Response Partnership’s (MCRRP) ability to respond to an active shooter event utilizing the key concepts of the Active Shooter Incident Management model.
• Testing responders’ ability to provide indirect threat care in “warm zones,” properly form Rescue Task Forces (RTFs), and deploy RTFs appropriately from staging through response. A warm zone is a secure area inside the inner perimeter where rescue task forces and law enforcement can safely provide immediate medical care for victims.
• Evaluating MCRRP’s ability to communicate key information to decision makers across agencies using pre-established inter-agency communications equipment and procedures.

These realistic training scenarios allow first responders to refine their skills, identify areas for improvement, and strengthen partnerships in a controlled environment, ultimately enhancing public safety and emergency preparedness throughout the region.

NJOHSP, through its New Jersey Shield program, is hosting a free Hometown Security Initiative seminar in preparation for the summer season on May 13 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Jenkinson’s Pavilion in Point Pleasant Beach. The agenda includes the current threat landscape assessment and best practices for recognizing and reporting suspicious activity.

This seminar is presented in partnership with the Point Pleasant Beach Office of the Mayor, Point Pleasant Beach Chamber of Commerce, Southern Ocean Chamber of Commerce, Point Pleasant Beach Police Department, and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Hometown Security Initiative represents a collaborative approach to strengthening security and resilience throughout New Jersey communities. This program facilitates engagement between small businesses, local organizations, and federal, State, and local partners to enhance information sharing and develop comprehensive preparedness capabilities.

Registration is strongly encouraged.

NJOHSP extends its appreciation to the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University for convening Muslim student leaders. NJOHSP Director Thomas Hauck as well as representatives from the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General recently engaged with students who shared their experiences and to reaffirm our collaborative commitment to ensuring safety, security, and well-being across the campus community.

Strategic partnerships are fundamental to advancing student safety initiatives. NJOHSP Director Thomas Hauck and agency personnel recently joined Jewish student leaders at Rutgers Chabad, together with representatives from the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, to discuss student perspectives and reinforce coordinated approaches to supporting comprehensive student safety across campus and the broader community.

The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) is reporting multiple new phishing campaigns aimed at stealing credentials and installing malware on victims’ devices.

In one campaign, threat actors send Google notifications claiming to add the target’s email address as their recovery email. The message includes a “Disconnect email” link to remove the address; however, the link is malicious and directs the target to a fake login page that captures their credentials. Notably, the site uses a mismatched template to gather the information. Rather than using Google’s platform for signing in, the site mimics Adobe’s.

Another campaign leverages a compromised user’s account to send secure files hosted in Adobe Document Cloud. These messages include the legitimate organization’s signature and a “VIEW FILE” link. Analysis revealed that once installed, the malware contained in these files performs multiple tasks, including evading defenses, gathering information, escalating privileges, and establishing persistence.

The NJCCIC recommends that users exercise caution with unexpected messages from known senders or legitimate platforms. Requests should be confirmed using an alternate method via verified, official sources. Before downloading files or submitting personal information, navigate to legitimate sites by manually entering the URL into a browser. If victimized, disconnect from the internet and run anti-virus/anti-malware scans.

For more information, view the NJCCIC’s latest alerts and advisories.