New Jersey Venue

The state of New Jersey was one of the two state venues selected to participate in TOPOFF 3. During the week of April 4-8, 2005, New Jersey tested the ability of its state and local government to plan for and respond to a biological attack.

Specifically, the exercise tested the state's ability to coordinate inter-agency preparedness and response plans to a biological response, conduct epidemiological investigations, criminal investigations, supply medication to ill patients and deploy assets statewide. New Jersey used this full-scale exercise to examine the preparedness and response plans at the state and local levels, as well as interactions with the Federal government and private sector.

New Jersey was the first state ever to have statewide participation in a TOPOFF exercise. Although the exercise initially focused on Union and Middlesex counties. Participation will include more than a dozen municipalities and all 21 New Jersey counties.

State participation is sponsored by: the Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force, the state body responsible for developing New Jersey's homeland security policy and for coordinating its implementation. State agencies participating include: