Terrorists and ambulances: not just for the Middle East anymore?
On Aug. 1, U.S. officials warned that al Qaeda terrorists could be planning attacks on financial institutions in New York City, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.Posted by Alan at August 18, 2004 08:36 PMABC News has learned that in the wake of that alert, authorities in the Northeast are investigating at least four incidents where people asked suspicious, detailed questions of firefighters and emergency personnel about how ambulances are operated — how fast they go, and when drivers should turn on the siren.
"Within the past week, the Office of Counter-Terrorism received three reports of suspicious activity concerning ambulances," New Jersey Infrastructure Advisory Bulletin No. 143 began. "The most recent incident involved an individual who attended an open-house at an ambulance squad in Middlesex County.
"The man, who claimed he was from Pakistan and a physician, asked a series of questions to the squad members that related exclusively to the operation of the emergency vehicles, including the speed at which the vehicles responded to calls and the use of the lights and sirens," it said."The individual appeared very nervous, did not ask about patient care, and left the premises when asked to complete a membership application."
What was most curious about the incidents was not just that they occurred, but that all three occurred in the short space of just a few days in the past two weeks. That pattern, as much as the incidents themselves, is a focus of the investigation.
Tip via Michelle Malkin