Neptune Township Special Operations Rescue

NOR’EASTER RESPONSE | NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAM

During the Nor’easter that impacted our area over the weekend of September 25, the Neptune Township Special Operations Team responded to multiple incidents and emergencies as high winds, coastal flooding, and heavy rain created dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions throughout the area.

Special Operations Team members responded to trees into structures and supported flood operations, utilizing our fleet of high-water vehicles and trained water rescue technicians.

Operating under the Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management, the Special Operations Team is a technical rescue response team made up of members from: Neptune Fire, Police, EMS, and OEM.

The response highlighted the importance of an integrated public safety team capable of managing multiple complex incidents simultaneously while continuing to protect our community.

We thank all of our responders for their professionalism, dedication, and teamwork throughout this challenging weather event, as well as our mutual aid partners for their continued support and collaboration.



Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management
Neptune Township Police Department
Neptune Township EMS

Busy 24 hours for the Neptune Township Special Operations Team!

The team responded to five incidents over the past 24 hours, including:

🚗 Car vs. Building — Walgreens on Highway 66
🚗 Car vs. Building — Walnut Street
🏠 Porch Collapse — Alpine Trail; 1 patient transported to JSUMC
🚚 Truck vs. Building — State Highway 33 & Fortunato Place
🌳 Tree vs. House — 10th Avenue off State Highway 35

The Neptune Township Special Operations Team consists of more than 30 members trained in technical rescue and operates under the Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The team is prepared to respond to specialized incidents throughout the township when additional rescue capabilities are needed.



Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management
Neptune Township Police Department
Neptune Township EMS

ROPE RESCUE TRAINING

On September 23, 2026, members of the Neptune Township Special Operations Team conducted rope rescue training at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, utilizing a realistic simulated emergency involving window washers on a suspended platform approximately seven stories above ground level.

The training scenario required team members to deploy from the 9th story, descend the structure, reach the simulated victims, and perform a technical rope rescue operation.

This type of realistic, hands-on training is critical for maintaining proficiency in rope rescue, high-angle rescue, technical rescue systems, patient access, and team operations.




Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management
Neptune Township EMS
Neptune Township Police Department

08/26/2026: The Neptune Township Special Operations Team conducted high-angle rope rescue training at the HOPE Tower’s 9-level parking garage in Neptune, NJ.

Training in challenging environments helps our team build the skills, confidence, and coordination needed to perform complex technical rescues.

A special thank you to our partners at Jersey Shore University Medical Center for their continued support of our team and our training programs.



Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management
Neptune Township Police Department
Neptune Township EMS
Hackensack Meridian Health

*Funeral Service Details for Neptune Township EMS Chief Bil Rosen*

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Neptune Township EMS Chief, loving husband of Kristin, and loving father of Sebastian, William T. “Bil” Rosen collapsed and died in the line of duty on August 3, 2026. He was 59.

The funeral service will be held at Hamilton Fire House, 10 Jumping Brook Rd, Neptune Township, NJ on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 3:00pm. Due to the large number of visitors expected to attend the service, the doors will open at 1:00pm. The funeral will be followed by burial at Agudath Achim Cemetery, 2432 W Bangs Ave, Neptune Township, NJ.

Please consider making a memorial donation in Bil's name to one of the following charities for their Mental Health Resilience Programs:

Shark River Hills First Aid Squad, Inc - https://neptuneems.org/shark-river-hills-squad

NJ EMS Task Force - https://www.njemstf.org/donations.html

Bil is predeceased by his loving son Liam and his father Marvin. Surviving is his beloved wife Kristin Rosen; his loving son Sebastian; his dear mother Marilyn Rosen; aunt Barbara Bascom; his sister and her family Arlene, Bill, Rebecca, and Matthew Lerman; his cousins Adele Bascom-Poplawski, John, Jared, and Rayna Poplowski, and Michael, Kathleen, Kyle, and Diane Bascom; his step-sister and her family Cindi, Cliff, Kim, and Tracy Fisher; as well as many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Please keep Bil’s wife Kristin, his son Sebastian, his loving family, and everyone whose lives he touched along the way in your thoughts. His dad jokes will be deeply missed, and the joy he brought to all of us will never be forgotten. The legacy he has left behind will be carried on for generations by all the lives that Bil touched.

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Neptune Township EMS Chief Bil Rosen collapsed and died in the line of duty this morning. He was 59. This is a major loss for all of us, and we’re still processing the shock. Bil was a friend, a family member, and held multiple significant roles throughout EMS in New Jersey. Bil touched countless lives through his work at Neptune EMS, the New Jersey EMS Task Force, Neptune OEM, as well as through his cooking, his teaching, and his family.

Bil was passionate about mental health and wellness and established a robust peer support system within Neptune Township EMS that has come to grow into something bigger than imagined. The hope for him was to create a program that nurtured and destigmatized the judgment around mental health in public safety. In addition to his role as EMS Chief for Neptune Township, he also held the positions of Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for Neptune OEM, Training Module Manager for the NJ EMS Task Force and Deputy EMS Coordinator for Monmouth County, and was a long time dedicated member of Shark River Hills First Aid. He was a lifelong educator of public safety professionals, and instructed thousands of students both nationally and internationally.

He had a strong love of food, and, most of all, his family. You could feel the joy he had for watching his son Bash begin his journey in EMS. Most recently, they could be found standing together side by side at the FIFA world cup. In addition to that, he could be found at the sidelines of Bash’s soccer games cheering him on with pride. Notoriously known for his famous kayak and hunting trips with his close friends; he had a love for getting outdoors and always loved to share his tales with coworkers and friends alike.

We’ll share more details about services as soon as we have them. For now, please keep Bil’s wife Kristin, his son Sebastian, his loving family, and everyone whose lives he touched along the way in your thoughts. His dad jokes will be deeply missed, and the joy he brought to all of us will never be forgotten. The legacy he has left behind will be carried on for generations by all the lives that Bil touched.

NJ EMS Task Force
Shark River Hills First Aid Squad, Inc
Monmouth County Sheriff's Office
Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management
Neptune Township Special Operations Rescue

Severe storms are currently impacting northern Monmouth County, causing significant flash flooding. Neptune OEM’s Special Operations Water Rescue Team is currently responding to a mutual aid request in the area. While we are not currently experiencing heavy rains in Neptune, additional strong storms are expected to move across NJ over next few hours and have the potential to cause significant flash flooding in our area. Please closely monitor your local weather forecast and ensure you are receiving notifications from the National Weather Service. Most importantly, if flash flooding does occur, stay off of the roads and never drive through flood conditions.

Neptune Township Special Operations Team response during July 6 Flash Flooding event

Approximately 5.5 inches of rain fell within a two-hour period, overwhelming the area's stormwater system and creating widespread, life-threatening flooding conditions. Neptune Township's Special Operations Team conducted numerous water rescues involving vehicles trapped in floodwaters and residents stranded in their homes. All three Neptune High Water Rescue Vehicles were deployed, each staffed with an operator and Swiftwater Rescue Technicians.

While water rescue operations were underway, additional Special Operations Team members responded as part of the Monmouth County USAR Task Force (MC-USAR), deploying trained technical rescue personnel and two Rescue Trucks to the roof collapse with entrapment at BJ's Wholesale Club in Ocean Township.

After completing the water rescue missions in Neptune, two of the department's three High Water Rescue Vehicles were deployed on mutual aid assignments to Ocean Township and Deal Borough, while the third remained in Neptune Township to maintain emergency response coverage.

Throughout the incident, the Neptune Township Special Operations Team and Neptune OEM was involved in more than 35 rescues and victim assists across Neptune Township, Neptune City, Ocean Township, and Deal Borough.

Operating under the Neptune Township's Office of Emergency Management, the Special Operations Team is a technical rescue response team comprised of members from the Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management, Neptune Fire Department, Neptune Township Police Department, and Neptune Township EMS.

Monday's response highlights the value of an integrated public safety team capable of managing multiple complex emergencies simultaneously while continuing to protect our community.

Thank you to all of our responders for their professionalism, dedication, and teamwork during this challenging weather event, and to our mutual aid partners for their continued collaboration.