PHOTOS: Hazlet Police Attend First Responder COVID-19 Tribute Ceremony

HAZLET, NJ - Officers from the Hazlet Township Police Department and police honor guard attended Wednesday’s state ceremony honoring 44 first responders who died from COVID-19.

Dubbed “A Proper Salute,” the ceremony took place at Epic Church in Sayreville and featured guest speakers such as New Jersey General Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin. The first responders honored include former police officers, corrections officers, firefighters and emergency responders.

The tribute also featured an escort procession of police departments from all over the state - from the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel to the Epic Church - for those who lost their loved ones during COVID-19.

“First responders and law enforcement officers from around the state gathered together to honor the public safety professionals, and their families, who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Covid-19 pandemic and were not afforded a proper tribute when they died,” New Jersey State Police said in a statement.