SEASIDE HEIGHTS — For members of the Seaside Heights Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team, preparing to save someone from the ocean starts well before an emergency pager sounds.
Water Rescue Capt. Nick Farrell said volunteers are taught first to understand the strength and unpredictability of the water.
“The most important skill is having knowledge of and respect for the water,” Farrell said. “It’s like I always say, the water always wins.”
That philosophy shapes a training program that runs throughout much of the year. Volunteers begin preparing for water emergencies in the spring and continue with weekly drills during the summer. Training includes open-water swimming, operating rescue boats and personal watercraft, and practicing different rescue scenarios.
When colder weather arrives, the team shifts its focus to cold-water and ice rescue techniques so members can respond beyond the traditional beach season.
Farrell said the goal is to make training as close to a real emergency as possible.
“We train like it’s the real thing,” he said. “We put the guys through different types of scenarios so they’re ready for a little bit of everything.”
One rescue that remains vivid for Farrell involved a young couple who went swimming at night after what he believed may have been their first date.
The pair entered the ocean after lifeguards had left and encountered rough conditions following a nor’easter swell. A person walking along the boardwalk heard calls for help coming from the darkness and alerted authorities.
Farrell said firefighters arrived in less than a minute.
He entered the water and fought through heavy surf to reach the man, who was caught in a powerful rip current. Another crew launched a rescue watercraft to help return them to shore.
The woman managed to reach a sandbar and make her way back on her own.
“It was a near drowning,” Farrell said of the man’s condition.
Both swimmers ultimately made it safely back to land.
Farrell said incidents like that demonstrate why repeated, hands-on training matters when rescuers may have only moments to act.
The department handled more than 60 bay and water rescue calls during 2025 and completed more than 50 rescues, according to Farrell.
He said continued beach traffic outside normal lifeguard hours makes year-round preparedness increasingly important.
“We’re seeing more people coming to the beaches, so we want to stay on our A game,” Farrell said. “Even after the lifeguards go home for the season, people are still coming down and going in the water.”
For Farrell, another reward comes from watching volunteers develop into experienced rescuers capable of putting their training to work.
“The most rewarding thing for me as captain is seeing these guys grow,” he said. “We start them off walking, and now they’re running.”
He said every rescue is approached with the understanding that someone’s family is depending on the team.
“Somebody’s life really depends on it,” Farrell said. “I think of it like it’s one of my family members out there.”
Farrell also credited the team’s close relationships and camaraderie for helping members operate effectively during emergencies.
The Seaside Heights Fire Department continues to welcome volunteers, including people interested in joining its ocean rescue efforts.
“We always welcome anyone who’s interested in ocean rescue,” Farrell said. “Not many fire departments have the opportunity to do this kind of work.”
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