Gregory Nyce had just finished a shift as a firefighter at Picatinny Arsenal when he came upon a head-on collision in Franklin Township, with a woman entrapped in her vehicle suffering severe lacerations to her legs, left side, back and neck. He grabbed his emergency medical kit, ran to her side, and assisted her until additional responders arrived.
The account, first reported by DVIDS, describes how Nyce stayed with the victim as she struggled with breathing complications from the impact. He remained beside her, explaining what was happening and trying to keep her calm, until crews arrived with the Jaws of Life to pry open the crushed car.
It took 40 minutes for firefighters to cut the woman free. Once extricated, she was placed on a backboard and transferred to a nearby hospital, per the same account. The account does not specify Nyce's total firefighting experience or federal-service tenure; he stayed on scene through the entire extrication.
A Lifetime Built Around Service
Nyce began volunteering as a firefighter, following in the footsteps of his father, the report notes. The Friends of NRA profile also mentions Nyce's two children. “Firefighters have a duty to act and help the public,” Nyce said, adding that his life has been about service to his country and his community.
Before joining federal fire service, Nyce spent eight years in the U.S. Army, deploying to Afghanistan with the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry during Operation Enduring Freedom, where he earned a Combat Action Badge and Army Commendation Medal, according to Friends of NRA, which identified him as a 2021 Eastern Pennsylvania Volunteer of the Year nominee. That military background, combined with the technical rescue training Picatinny firefighters receive, helps explain the composure he showed through a stressful, 40-minute roadside extrication.
Trained for the Toughest Calls
Firefighters with the Picatinny Arsenal Fire Department complete an 80-hour New Jersey State Police hazardous materials course to earn technician-level certification, allowing the department to provide technical rescue and mutual aid across Morris County, according to Firehouse Magazine, which notes the department established its specialized hazmat team back in 1987. Picatinny Arsenal itself spans 6,500 acres in Morris County and has a daytime population of approximately 4,000 people, according to Firehouse Magazine; the Morris County Chamber of Commerce is cited for additional installation information.
Picatinny firefighters worked a typical 24-hours-on, 24-hours-off schedule, according to the Federal Labor Relations Authority. That detail underscores how demanding it was for Nyce to spring into action immediately after wrapping up a shift.
Gratitude Reaches Military Leadership
The victim's family later expressed thanks for Nyce's help. The account does not describe the Department of Defense's Interactive Customer Evaluation system, any customer-satisfaction benchmark, how the family's praise reached Nyce's command team, or whether it led to official recognition.
The family expressed appreciation for Nyce's professionalism, compassion and willingness to act, thanking him for helping their loved one after the serious crash. The account does not address whether New Jersey's Good Samaritan Act, N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-1, applies to off-duty paid or volunteer firefighters.
Part of a Broader Safety Picture
The account does not provide statewide New Jersey traffic-fatality totals or the annual number of police accident reports processed by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Picatinny Arsenal has a long history in the region. The supplied account does not establish when it was founded or describe it as the Army's principal armament research and development facility. For Nyce, the roadside rescue was simply another extension of a career, and a family legacy, built entirely around answering the call when it matters most.
