A spokesman for the city's Office of Emergency Management was suspended without pay after an incident in Soho on Wednesday night. The Post reports that Seth Andrews crashed his city-owned car and then threatened a female police officer who was arresting him, "I’m going to choke you, just watch out. You’re done. I can’t wait to get you on Staten Island. You just watch your gun." more ›

According to the Office of Emergency Management, 8th Avenue is closed between West 44th and West 45th Street in Manhattan because of police activity. We'll update with more details as they come come in, but according to one report over the wires, it's a "suspicious package." UPDATE: The Office of Emergency Management says, "police activity has concluded on 8th Ave. between West 44th and West 45th Street. 8th Ave. is now open." Sorry, no heroes today. As you were. more ›

In case you're wondering what those fighter planes are doing flying over the city today, it's just your tax dollars blowing over Yankee Stadium on opening day. According to the Office of Emergency Management, low-flying planes will blast over the stadium at 1 p.m.; they're from the Fighter Squadron Composite Twelve (VFC-12), a U.S. Navy Reserve fighter squadron. Major League Baseball's website adds that "franchise icons" Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra will also be in attendance to hand out the Yankees World Series Rings. And if you're going to the game, you should probably get a move on; they say it's going to be a total mob scene. (NYC Transit recommends using the special events stairs at the rear of the uptown 4 train platform.) more ›

Yesterday morning, the FDNY, NYPD, Port Authority Police, Office of Emergency Management and additional agencies converged on the World Trade Center PATH station in lower Manhattan to participate in a full-scale exercise—Operation Safe PATH 2009— to test their response to an improvised explosive device detonation. While PATH service was suspended and the immediate area were closed off to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, over 800 emergency responders, plus 150 volunteers who portrayed victims, participated in the drill, which involved two (simulated) explosions that occurred on a NJ-bound PATH train about 1000-1200 feet into the tunnel. more ›

You're warned: This Sunday, the Office of Emergency Management is overseeing a drill that will, according to the AP, "simulate a response to an explosion at a PATH commuter rail train in the tunnel between the World Trade Center site and northern New Jersey. Officials say there will be no sound of an explosion, but emergency vehicles will respond with flashing lights and sirens." First responders from the NYPD, FDNY, and Port Authority will be on hand for the exercise; Vesey Street, on the north side of ground zero, will be closed to all but emergency vehicles and PATH rail service will be suspended from 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. more ›

Don't fret if you see a large scene of police, fire department and EMTs between Chambers and Vesey Streets today. The city's Office of Emergency Management and Port Authority are practicing the city's response to a "simulated emergency." According to the alert, "People south of Chambers Street to Vesey Street may see first responders, but the effect on traffic should be minimal. World Trade Center PATH Station will remain open." more ›

So, Tropical Storm Hanna is on her way, and the NYC metro area is making sure it's ready. more ›

Bring on the baked Big Apple references, because the "heat advisory" for Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond Counties remains in effect until 6 p.m. tonight. Another one will go into effect tomorrow between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. more ›

Just a days before the Florida primary, someone gave the New York Times a 1998 NYPD memorandum advising Mayor Giuliani that the department felt locating the city's emergency command center in 7 World Trade Center was not a very good idea. The eight page memo was written by a panel of police experts with help from the Secret Service. Its conclusions were overruled by Giuliani and the command center was destroyed on September 11 as the building where it was located burned and then collapsed. more ›