Grabs 172 Rowley Fire, MA (June 22, 2024)

• Name and Rank: RJ Oleary Call Firefighter-EMT
• Department: Rowley Fire in Georgetown, MA
• Date: June 22nd 2024
• Came in as a outside fire-upgraded to house fire
• Type of building: Single family residential home 1.5 story wood frame
• Approx time to remove: 4-5 min
• Weight of victim: 150-160 LBS
• VES
• Method of removal: dirty drag to window (arms first) and lifted out with assistance (tall window sill) from second and third firefighter. Double Ladders.
• Takeaways:
  
  • Look for the AC unit-indicate a bedroom.
  • Have a plan once you arrive communicate that plan with your crew.
  • Be comfortable and confident performing VES know when to use it.
  • Familiarity with your crew know there levels of training, confidence and proficiency’s

Grabspodcast@gmail.com

Grabs 171 Pinellas Park Fire, FL (April 14, 2025)

• Name and Rank- Lt Bill Weaver
• Pinellas Park Fire Department
• Type of building- 2 story wood frame townhome
• Met by neighbor-said an elderly person lives in house, no confirmation.
• Good viz on first floor, zero viz on second floor
• Dead battery on TIC
• Approx time from arrival to removal - 6 minutes
• Weight of victim- 130lbs
• Method of removal- dirty drag

Grabspodcast@gmail.com

Grabs 170 Sac Metro Fire, CA (August 15, 2024)

• Capt Josh Leonard, Kyle DiBiase, Danny Kim (Engineer Matt Rust)
• Call came in right at shift change-house fire
• Duplex-Living room well involved-no extension to Bravo unit
• Neighbors saying baby trapped in back-all in for search (truck)
• Engine stretched between fire and victim location.
• Smoke halfway down, good visibility low until the room, in the room no viz.
• 2 callout heard mumbling noise-Hard to pinpoint location.
• Found dog before victim, dog was lying on victim covering victim.
• Officer met at window and gave reference where to find victim and where to get to window.
• Victim 130 lbs-very tough lift (trapped legs) required second rescuer. Couldn’t go the other way due to fire. Conditions in room got worse.
• Victim out in less than 2 minutes.

Grabspodcast@gmail.com

Grabs 169 Rocky Mount Fire, NC (May, 2024)

• Cody Johnson, Engineer
• Evening Dispatch to House Fire-Close to station
• Enroute saw column and told possibly one person inside.
• Brick range style house, 1600 Sq with addition
• A-B garage fire, into attic space
• Extra guy added to search, Search ahead of attack team.
• Split search.
• Bathroom-Found arm first (surprised) and the victim pulled away and then stood up. Smoke Drunk. Half drag half walk out removal.
• 15’ from bathroom to front door. Captain led them out.
• Time arrival to removal-under 2 min.
• They went back to check the rest of the house.

Grabspodcast@gmail.com

Grabs 168 Fall River Fire Department, Mass (July 13, 2025)

• Paul Machado, Lieutenant (Duty Heavy Rescue)
• Gabriel House Assisted Living Fire
• 9:50pm Multiple People screaming
• Multiple calls, heavy fire
• 3 story center hall wood frame, 70 people inside upon arrival.
• 150’ long, 3 floors 30 windows
• Hands and Faces at windows on B side-Ladder initiated searches
• Everybody get a ladder.
• Different size ladders lead to different angles
• Conscious victims had death grip on ladders
• Multiple rescues-some needed window lift and help out, others you could reach from the ladder.
• High Anchor for one that was 450 lbs
• 11-12 off ground ladders from B-side
• 1 from A-side
• 3 Cops got stuck in a room taking smoke while trying to evacuate civilians
• Take Aways
  
  • PT-You have to be physically fit
  • Ladder skills have to be practiced
  • Shallow and High Angles (Sometimes you can’t choose)
  • Confidence with crews (through training)
  • https://abcnews.go.com/US/assisted-living-facility-9-died-fire-recertification-year/story?id=123753767

Grabspodcast@gmail.com

• Mike LaFleur, Lieutenant
• Gabriel House Assisted Living Fire
• 9:50pm Multiple People screaming
• 3 story center hall wood frame, 70 people inside upon arrival.
• People at every window waiting to be rescued.
• This episode is from a recalled officer.
• 10 fatalities at this fire.
• 3rd Floor 3 people, forcing doors and checking SRO.
• First room victim found face down-dirty drag-hand them off to another FF.
• Girth hitching as grip strength went away.
• Victim behind door, move victim away from door and then back out.
• Passing victims off allow searchers to continue with search..they know where they’ve been and where they need still go.
• 2 unconscious, 1 conscious victim assisted.
• Take aways
  
  • Preplan the high hazard buildings.
  • Passing the victim off to another crew.
  • Have a 30-60-90 second plan
• https://abcnews.go.com/US/assisted-living-facility-9-died-fire-recertification-year/story?id=123753767

Grabspodcast@gmail.com

• Amber Steiding: Assistant Chief
• Potomac Fire Company #2
• 9/1/25 Labor Day
• Type of building: single family dwelling
• Approx time from arrival to removal: roughly 10 minutes
• Weight of the victim (approximately): victim 1-100 to 120, victim 2- 190 to 200
• Method of removal: More of a tackle and push, victim 2 was an assist under their power.
• First I’ll start with staying ready and staying prepared. Between being fit, training, drilling, and studying the Lord prepared me for this.
• I really got a first hand feel for what victims are going through.
• Do not trust dispatch or initial reports of all occupants out. How do you know? Search, search, search…even if no one else will.

Grabspodcast@gmail.com

Grabs 165 Ashville, NC (2/16/2025)

• Grant speaks with Senior Firefighter James Burnette
• 02/16/2025 at 11:07pm
• Single story, Single family residential
• 5:23 seconds to removal
• Victim 130lbs
• Horder Conditions
• 50’ exit Grab limbs and exited on Alpha
• Takeaway-Masking up with gloves on

Grabspodcast@gmail.com