Ali Harrison

Special to USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey

New Jersey police officers, law enforcement and emergency responders are tasked every day with protecting and serving residents throughout the state, many times putting their lives on the line to do that job.

As such, USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey took a look back at just a few of the rescues by police officers in New Jersey in recent years that tugged at readers' heartstrings or just made us all breathe a sigh of relief.

Read the stories and then share yours: Know a police officer, firefighter or other first responder in New Jersey who goes above and beyond to serve his or her community? Tell us in the comments!

Long Branch officer saves baby's life

When Yuri Sandoval and Erasmo Diaz chose to buy a home around the corner from police headquarters, they couldn’t have predicted their decision would save their baby’s life.

But that’s what happened when their 9-month-old daughter began choking after swallowing a candy wrapper in 2016. After Diaz called 911, Officer Omar Akel and his partner Patrick Viccaro arrived in under a minute.

“I took the baby, put her face in my hand and her belly along my forearm,’’ Akel said. “I delivered five back thrusts. After the fifth one, I heard her starting to cry.’

“Once I heard the baby screaming and crying, I knew that couldn’t happen without a clear airway,’’ Akel said.

Read the full story of how police saved the baby's life.

Hazlet police help deliver baby outside headquarters

Usually, police are the ones to drive to an emergency. On Sept. 6, 2017, it was the other way around — the emergency pulled up in front of Hazlet police headquarters.

A frantic man pulled up to the headquarters and alerted officers that his wife was giving birth in the car, police said.

Sgt. Kevin Geoghan proceeded to put on gloves and was joined by other officers to aid the couple in the car, where at 4:19 p.m., a girl — who police called "Baby Girl Schimicci" for now — was born.

Read the full story of these quick-thinking Hazlet cops.

Neptune police rescue portly pet

A little pig was found frolicking near routes 33 and 35 over Memorial Day weekend by police officer Thomas Blewitt.

Blewitt was immediately charmed by the portly pet, nicknamed "Pork Roll," and figured the piggy was "most likely looking for an evening coffee and donut from Dunkin' Donuts," according to a Facebook post by Neptune police.

For his own safety, Pork Roll was taken "into custody for questioning," but was also offered a job application as the department mascot.

"Shortly after, he was whisked away by the Monmouth County SPCA for safekeeping until he was later retrieved by his owner," Neptune police reported.

Get the scoop on a pig named Pork Roll.

Bogota police rescue bride from flooded car on her wedding day

A wedding party got stuck in the massive flooding that the August storm unleashed, and a happy couple from Dover was stranded as their car became submerged in water in Bogota.

Bogota police got the call and sprang into action. Officer Michael Laferrera stood on top of a police vehicle with water nearly up to the headlights.

Laferrera extended his hand, and new bride, Sabrina Torens of Dover, climbed out of the car through the sunroof.

Clutching her white dress, she grabbed Laferrera's hand and he helped her across to the department's vehicle. Police also rescued groom Connor Reilly.

Fortunately, dress, shoes and all stayed dry through the ordeal, the sergeant said.

Get the full story on the wedding day police rescue.

Atlantic City police save 10-year-old boy

Atlantic city police officers Darrell Catanio and Johnathan Walsh responded to a report of a swimmer screaming for help at the South Carolina Avenue beach in June.

Catanio, a former member of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol, went into the water, freed the boy and carried him to the beach patrol tent where he was met by emergency medical personnel and treated for a lower leg injury.

Catanio, who also sustained an injury during the rescue, was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.

Read the full story of this police rescue on the beach.

Jackson police rescue elderly woman from carbon monoxide poisoning

An elderly woman was rescued from the potentially deadly effects of carbon monoxide poisoning in June after township police responded to a welfare check, police said.

Officers were sent to a home on Wild Dunes Way to check on the welfare of a 78-year-old woman after her son told police he hadn't heard from his mother in a few hours, according to a Facebook post from Jackson police.

Officers found the 78-year-old woman in her bedroom "barely conscious and breathing very shallow," police said.

Read the full story of this Jackson police rescue.

Long Branch police rescue baby deer trapped in well

Long Branch Police Cpl. Lance Fanning and animal control officer Deb Nagel aided a struggling fawn that inexplicably became trapped in 4-foot-deep well in July.

Nagel climbed down into the window well and grabbed the fawn, then safely passed the deer up to Fanning to aid the deer.

The baby deer was not injured.

Read the full story of the deer's rescue.

Seaside Park police save a family of ducklings

The woman was "frantic" when she called Seaside Park police for help on a Sunday in July 2017 — to rescue one fowl family that was stuck in a storm drain, police said.

A female duck was found quacking by a storm drain on North Bayview and Island avenues, which is next to Barnegat Bay, Police Cpl. Steve Shadiack said. The woman peered in the storm drain, saw the ducklings, and called police for help, he said.

When the officers arrived, they lifted the grate from the storm drain and Officer Anthony Fumosa went into the storm sewer to remove the three ducklings, Shadiack said.

Fumosa "did the same thing last year" on Central Avenue, Shadiack said. "He is the duck rescuer."

Get the full story of this ducky police rescue.