GRABS Podcast

Brothers in Battle Media

GRABS Podcast: Grant Schwalbe, Justin McWilliams, Nick Ledin, Jeffrey Bryant and others bring you the stories of the victim rescues being made all over the country.  

  1. 13 hr ago

    GRABS 189 - Normal (IL) Fire Department (11.2.25)

    Matt Hill- Lieutenant 17 yearsNate Riordan- Firefighter 11 yearsNormal Fire Department- Normal, ILAssigned to E10 the night of the incident (2nd arriving)11/2/2025 approx. 1:45amSingle-wide mobile home- Early 1980s modelApproximate Times:Made entry approx. 3 minutes after arrival on sceneAround 35 seconds to breach the exterior wallLocated Victim approximately. 3 minutes after entryRemoved victim approx. 3 minutes after locating himI think he was at the hospital about 9ish minutes later12yo child- Approx. 100lbsRemoved by hand- passed him offTakeaways:When there is reported entrapment, get off the rig in the rescue mindset. Any chance the victim had would not have existed if another 30 seconds went by.The 360* survey is critical. Three sides of that building were f****d and I actually radioed that a rescue was not possible after seeing three. The 4th side changed my mind and made me realize there was a chance to get in and search.Kids hide- Be thorough. Search like you’re looking for your own child.Coordination is key- We got the grab, but this was a full unit effort. We were in the room, but multiple people outside made it possible. Including:Bat Chief- Trusted his people to work.Nozzle FF on E13- Got the line in place at the window to control the room before it flashed.Water supply- Two Engineers were FAST establishing itLt. Martin/Engineer Gerrietts- Passed out the victim and they got him to EMS QuickALS Providers- Two of our FF/Medics doffed their gear and went into Medic mode, two others joined them and they provided excellent care in a timely manner. Grabspodcast@gmail.com

  2. 21 Jul

    GRABS 188 - Paulding County (GA) Fire and Rescue (3/29/26)

    Lieutenant Caleb Caldwell.Paulding County Fire & Rescue. Paulding County Georgia. March 29th, 2026.Single story, wood-frame residence on a crawlspace.6 minutes, 12 seconds from on-scene to victim removal.Approx. weight is 250-275lbs.Drag from bed to a make-shift table, out a window on a ladder.  Takeaways: Positive: Allowing homeowner to show potential victim location. Having a culture of targeted search even as first due engine. Using ladder from the residence to execute search and removal. Having a driver fighting fire from the exterior while officer and backstep are searching for known victim location. Negative: Line should have been deployed directly to point of VES for better/quicker protection.  Grabspodcast@gmail.com

  3. 7 Jul

    GRABS 187 - Lexington County Fire Service (3/7/26)

    Colin Cotter (Firefighter) & Reilly Kilbride (Firefighter) Lexington County Fire Service 3/7/2026 Two story single family wood frame  Arrival to removal = 4min Dirty drag from ankles (each FF had one ankle) then extremity carry down the stairs  Take aways - all units on scene did their jobs effectively to put our crew in a position to make the rescue  - outside training was a big factor in making this rescue go smoothly. We both attened a large amount of outside training both together and separately. We both felt very prepared to be in the position to make an effective rescue.  - Doing training regularly with our crew built a good team chemistry that paid off during this rescue.  Grabspodcast@gmail.com

  4. 23 Jun

    GRABS 186 Rock Island, IL (12/1/25)

    Sitting down with Chaon Hanson and Jacob Kelly of the Rock Island, IL Fire Department.  They're talking about a rescue they had on December 1st, 2025. This was in a 1.5 story wood frame that from all sides "appeared vacant". The victim was found within the first 6' of a point of egress. Victim weight was 120-150 pounds. Key takeaways -   - Fire Based EMS with Jump Companies  - How much the data reflects the fireground Grabspodcast@gmail.com

  5. 9 Jun

    GRABS 185 St.. Paul FD (1/3/26)

    Firefighter John SchowengerdtSt. Paul (MN) Fire Department1.3.26Modified Multi-Family DwellingAbout 15 minutes from arrival on scene until victim removedVictim weighed about 175#Removal was a 2-person dirty drag3-4 takeaway:Don't be complacentExpect victims even in small firesAutomatic Fire Alarms - If a building calls the FD stating it's on fire...assume the building is rightPractice moving victims up stairs Grabspodcast@gmail.com

  6. 26 May

    GRABS 184 - Danville Fire Department, Illinois (December 25th, 2025)

    Danville Fire Department 12/25/2025 1.5 story wood frame with small living space upstairs on alpha side About a minute or less approximately 200 Ladder removal from roof of covered porch Don’t get complacentBe ready to change tactics on the flyPractice the basics! (Deploying Lines, Masking up, and Throwing ladders)Devin Heinrichs - Firefighter (Acting up as LT for day of the fire) Nathan Michael - Firefighter (Driver) GHage Lange - Firefighter Grabspodcast@gmail.com

  7. 12 May

    Grabs 183 Orlando, FL (11/4/2025)

    Grabs 183 Orlando, FL (11/4/25) LT Bassel Ibrahim Orlando Fire, FL From one Ems call to another, they see smoke Front to back duplex, fire and smoke showing, bars on all windows, chained gate and people waiving. Told people are trapped when they arrived, while trying to get their gear on. Trouble getting on radio to request the rest of the alarm. Someone trapped behind security gate on A side. Popped door, made the grab.On scene to removal was under 1:00.  (Vict went from conscious to unconscious)  Grabspodcast@gmail.com

  8. 28 Apr

    Grabs 182 Cape Girardeau Fire Department, MO (12/20/25)

    Grabs 182 Cape Girardeau Fire Department, MO  (12/20/25) Andrew Juden Fire CaptainCape Girardeau Fire Department10:30 P report of 2 houses on fireSingle Family Dwelling-Rescue Mode 90% involvement-Report of Victim VES-Located conscious victim immediately. (One man in) Moderate smoke and heat, door starting to fail at top. 2nd man in to help get pt “unstuck” Pt with dog. Ammo started to cook off, they covered pt until it was passed. Hose line moved into room from window, because window started to light off. 2 firefighter lift out a 1st floor window-200 LBS, passed the victim out and finished the search. 5-6 minutesTake the water can with you. "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth"Training Makes the Difference-In high-stress situations, you don’t have time to think through every decision you rely on training and repetition. This rescue was a direct result of preparation and muscle memory, not improvisation.Teamwork Saves Lives-Successful rescues are never the result of one person. Clear communication, trust, and everyone doing their job played a critical role in the outcome. Decision Making Under Extreme Pressure-Conditions change rapidly, the unexpected happens, and decisions must be made with incomplete information. This incident reinforced the importance of staying calm, trusting your assessment, training, experience, and committing to a decision quickly.Time Is the Biggest Enemy-Fire growth and smoke conditions escalate faster than most people realize. This rescue highlighted how every second counts and how quickly survivable conditions can disappear. Grabspodcast@gmail.com

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About

GRABS Podcast: Grant Schwalbe, Justin McWilliams, Nick Ledin, Jeffrey Bryant and others bring you the stories of the victim rescues being made all over the country.  

Information

  • Creator
    Brothers in Battle Media
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    123
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 GRABS Podcast
  • Show Website
    GRABS Podcast

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