Special OPS

Special Operations Technical Rescue Team

The Neptune Special Operations Technical Rescue Team – Station 34-8 – was created in 2009, and is responsible for technical rescue emergencies and rescue operations in the Neptune Township. We also respond mutual aid throughout the region and are a Type 1 Structural Collapse Rescue Team on the New Jersey OEM State Resource Inventory.

The team operates under the authority of Neptune Township’s Office of Emergency Management. We are trained and equipped for Technical Rescue emergencies include Confined Space Rescue, Structural Collapse, High and Low Angle Rescue, Trench Rescue and any rescue that is beyond the scope or capabilities of the township’s first responders.

The team is staffed by 30 members from the various support and sponsoring agencies, which includes:

Neptune Office of Emergency Management
Neptune Fire Department
Neptune Emergency Medical Services
Neptune Police Department
Neptune Department of Public Works
Neptune Building Department
Neptune Municipal Government
Ocean Grove Fire Department
We also welcome members from contiguous agencies

The team works cooperatively with the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management and the Monmouth County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Neptune Special Operations Team members have varied levels of training, including having members trained through New Jersey Task Force 1 at their Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) facility on the US Naval Base located in Lakehurst. NJTF-1 is one of the 28 FEMA USAR teams in the US. Training follows NFPA 1006, 1670, 2500 and other standards.

We have members who have a background in construction and carpentry, surveying, hazardous materials, rope and rigging, rescue and more.

The team trains monthly, in addition to extra training that is held both for the team and where members attend on their own.

For additional information on Neptune’s Special Operations Team, contact Special Operations Team Leader / Deputy OEM Coordinator Donald Colarusso – dcolarusso@neptunetownship.org.

Membership: The team accepts applications in October and November each year. Interviews are conducted in December. Onboarding, orientation, and basic introductory training is conducted in January, February and March. Membership is open to all members of Neptune Township’s emergency service agencies. We also may consider those interested who live in a bordering town in reasonable proximity to Neptune Township. Our membership application can be found here:

Special Ops Application v2023

Team Roster

LEADERSHIP
34-9-30	Michael Bascom	Team Commander
34-9-35	Donald Colarusso	Chief/Team Leader
34-9-32	Michael Dileo	Asst. Team Leader (Hazmat)
34-66	Joseph Mauro	Asst. Team Leader (Operations)
34-9-36	Bil Rosen	Asst. Team Leader (Medical)

SQUAD 1
Search / Rescue	Nicholas Acevedo
Search / Rescue	Albie Fritz	Training Officer
Search / Rescue	David Hoecker
Logistics	Jacob Kay
Search / Rescue	Aaron Lay	Training Officer
Logistics	Chip Megill
Search / Rescue	Nick Megill
Search / Rescue	Jake Neidenstein
Search / Rescue	Charles Reevey
Logistics	Ryan Santos
Search / Rescue	Francis Sutphin

SQUAD 2
Search / Rescue	James Allen
Search / Rescue	James Corrao
Logistics	Casey Crawford
Logistics	Danielle DePalma
Search / Rescue	Daniel Harker
Search / Rescue	Otis Henderson
Search / Rescue	Matthew Kershaw
Search / Rescue	Timothy Kortenhaus
Search / Rescue	Jose Perez
Search / Rescue	Brian Rath
Search / Rescue	John Rystephanuk


Logistics	Kyle Bascom	PIO
Logistics	T.J. Constantino	Cache Manager