66 New Jersey First Responders Honored for Heroic Rescues

When Officer Yash Shroff arrived at a crash scene on Route 27 last November, he had seconds to act before flames consumed the car and its unconscious driver inside.

Shroff tried breaking the window with his baton, but it wouldn't budge. Officer Thomas Sites arrived moments later with a Halligan tool, shattered the glass, and together they dragged the 26-year-old driver to safety just minutes before the vehicle exploded.

"When I got there, the car wasn't smoking at all, and then in seconds it became engulfed," Shroff said. "We were just there at the right time."

The two South Brunswick officers, both with only two years on the force, are among 66 law enforcement officers and firefighters receiving recognition from the 200 Club of Middlesex County on May 21. The ceremony at the Carteret Performing Arts Center will honor first responders from 19 agencies across the county for extraordinary acts of courage.

Sites credits his department's training and equipment for the successful rescue. "It happened very quickly, so we really didn't have time to react," he said. "I'm thankful to be in a department that gives us the training and equipment to do what we needed to do."

The Ripple Effect

The ceremony showcases the remarkable range of heroism displayed throughout 2025. Plainsboro firefighters rescued trapped colleagues from a dangerous situation. Piscataway officers saved someone at a railroad crossing. Perth Amboy officers pulled victims from fires. Monroe officers confronted an armed person to protect others.

Each rescue represents split-second decisions made by people who chose to run toward danger while others fled. These weren't just job duties checked off a list. They were life-or-death moments where training, courage, and compassion intersected.

"These recipients remind us every day of the extraordinary sacrifice and courage that defines our first responder community," said Dennis M. Kelly, executive director of the 200 Club of Middlesex County.

The ceremony will also recognize meritorious service awards for officers who demonstrated exceptional dedication during investigations, suicide interventions, and incidents involving armed suspects. New Jersey State Police will receive honors for an aviation rescue and gunshot wound response that saved lives.

For Shroff and Sites, the recognition feels surreal. "Stuff like this doesn't happen every day, but we have to expect it," Shroff said.

Their story reminds us that heroes often look like ordinary people doing their jobs until the moment everything changes and courage becomes the only option.