The Real ResQ Podcast

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn sits down once again with James Dahmer—Air Operations Specialist, Hoist Operator, Rescue Specialist, Paramedic, and longtime search and rescue professional with Blackcomb Helicopters in British Columbia, Canada. As part of our ongoing series exploring what it takes to become a hoist operator, Dahmer shares his unique journey into the world...

In this special episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn sits down with a group of United States Coast Guard Flight Mechanics, Richard Butler, Justin Leddon and Kyle Turcotte to pull back the curtain on one of the most critical—and often misunderstood—positions in Coast Guard aviation. From the first day of Basic Aircrew (BA) training to becoming a fully qualified flight mech, the crew s...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn sits down with Johnny Gray III, Firefighter Paramedic, Air Operations Crew Chief with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.  Gray shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Southern California as the son of four-time Olympian Johnny Gray, to chasing his dream of professional basketball.  He did so playing across world in Germany, H...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn sits down with Shay Williams. A former United States Army and United States Coast Guard helicopter pilot. Williams shares the remarkable journey that took him from growing up on Air Force bases as the son of a military pilot to flying troop transport missions with the 82nd Airborne Division, conducting medevac operations in Hawaii, and eve...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn is joined by Naude Dreyer, founder of Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN), marine wildlife rescuer, conservationist, and one of the world's leading experts in disentangling seals from marine debris.  What began with a single seal caught in a fishing net over a decade ago has grown into an internationally recognized rescue organization th...

In this episode of The Real ResQ, host Jason Quinn sits down with Mike Park, the former CEO of Mountain Rescue England and Wales. As a volunteer rescuer with more than 42 years of mountain rescue experience. From his first callout as a teenager accompanying his father to a fatal aircraft crash site, to representing over 3,000 volunteer rescuers across England and Wales, Park shares an incredible p...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn speaks with United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer #68 and Coast Guard pilot, Russ Torgerson. Born in Alaska and raised in Colorado, Torgerson originally planned to follow in his father’s footsteps as a firefighter. Until a chance glimpse of Coast Guard fast boats on Miami Vice changed the course of his life forever. What started as a “f...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, Jason sits down with the Longview Fire Department crew  The team responded to what quickly became one of the most complex high-angle rescues in recent memory. From the moment the call came in, the situation was evolving. Limited information, rapidly changing conditions, and the realization that this was going to require everything they had. What followed w...

In this deeply personal and powerful episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn brings together the people who knew United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer #445, Mike Rinaldi, best. His widow, Aggie, his family and his fellow rescue swimmers to honor his life, his service, and the impact he left behind. Through heartfelt stories and firsthand accounts, listeners are taken from Rinaldi’s e...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn sits down with Brad Torrens, United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer #114, for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation that spans the early days of Coast Guard aviation through the birth of the rescue swimmer program—and the personal cost that can come with a lifetime of rescue work. Torrens takes us back to one of his earliest and most int...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn dives into a dramatic multi-agency rescue off the coast of Dingle, Ireland, where the fishing vessel Fastnet was in distress and it triggered a complex and fast-moving response. Featuring voices from Dispatch - Denis O’Leary, ground team - Carol Leahy, RNLI Volunteer Rescue Boat Crew - Sean Curtin and Irish Coast Guard Helicopter Crewmen -...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn sits down with Anthony Dyer, former United States Air Force Special Missions Aviator, decorated veteran, and author of Moon Child. Anthony shares his journey from a small town in North Carolina to the demanding world of combat aviation and rescue operations. He reflects on the challenges and triumphs of his military career, offering an ins...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn sits down in person once again with Dave Weber to dive deeper into a powerful concept at the core of search and rescue: the most dangerous things we do aren’t reckless—they’re calculated. Our conversation breaks down what truly separates risk from recklessness. Quinn and Weber explore the idea behind the presentation “Extreme by Nature, Sa...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn is joined with five members of the Texas National Guard’s San Antonio Alamo DUSTOFF unit to talk about the realities of medevac and rescue operations in high-stakes environments. The crew shares their personal journeys into the National Guard, the training that prepared them for the mission, and the challenges they’ve faced during real-wor...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn is joined by Shawn Sullivan, United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer #351. Sullivan talks through a remarkable career that spans some of the most demanding rescue environments in the world—from the Great Lakes to Alaska—and includes missions during the era of the Perfect Storm rescues. He recounts his first helicopter rescue, the emotiona...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn is joined by Craig McCotter and Erica Zangwill to discuss their pivotal roles in the extraordinary civilian-led relief efforts following Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Together, they recount the formation and execution of what became the largest civilian air relief operation in history, as volunteer pilots from the Carolina Aviators N...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn speaks with Mick Kerry about his extensive career in Search and Rescue with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. Mick shares firsthand insights from years of responding to emergencies, including the unique challenges of major flood events and the critical role of community support during times of crisis. He reflects on the bonds formed t...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn speaks with Josie McKee, Director of Communications and Operations at Responder Alliance . A conversation on mental health in high-risk professions and the practical tools that help rescuers stay steady through stress, trauma, and the aftermath of difficult calls. Drawing from her own search and rescue experience, McKee explains how cumula...

In this powerful episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn speaks with Dr. Tony Dice, a Counselor Educator & Doctoral-Level Clinician, Navy SEAL, Firefighter, Paramedic, Author and Recovering addict to share an unflinching story of service, struggle, and recovery. Dr. Dice walks listeners through his extraordinary journey to becoming a firefighter and paramedic, serving as a Navy SEAL...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn is joined once again by Scott Ruskan, United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer #1096. Scott returns to break down his very first live hoist—a high-stakes medevac from an oil tanker at sea, a mission that earned him and his crew Coast Guard Commendation Medals. He walks listeners through the operation from start to finish, detailing the pla...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast — the seventh of seven episodes highlighting the rescue efforts during the Kerr County, Texas Floods of July 4th, 2025 — host Jason Quinn sits down with Scott Ruskan, United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer #1096. Ruskan shares his remarkable journey from growing up in New Jersey to finding himself at the center of a catastrophic flood rescue operation tha...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast — the sixth of seven episodes highlighting the rescue efforts during the Kerr County, Texas Floods of July 4th, 2025 — host Jason Quinn sits down with United States Coast Guard pilots Ian Hopper and Blair Ogujiofor, along with a separate interview featuring Flight Mechanic Seth Reeves. Together, they reflect on their roles during the Kerrville flood respons...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast — the fifth of seven episodes highlighting the rescue efforts during the Kerr County, Texas Floods of July 4th, 2025 — host Jason Quinn sits down with two members of the Star Flight crew in Austin, Texas, recorded right from the heart of their operations. Pilot Ryan Kelly and Flight Nurse Katie White They share their firsthand experiences in helicopter emer...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast — the fourth of seven episodes highlighting the rescue efforts during the Kerr County, Texas Floods of July 4th, 2025 — host Jason Quinn joins six members of the Texas Department of Public Safety Aircraft Operations Division: Dustin Gardner, Rob Dorman, Tyason Chow, Dustin Ponce, Eric Herrera, and Brandon Palmer. Together, this diverse and highly skilled Te...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast — the third of seven episodes highlighting the rescue efforts during the Kerr County, Texas Floods of July 4th, 2025 — host Jason Quinn sits down with seasoned helicopter search and rescue technicians Bryan Winchell and Cliff Patrick from Texas Task Force One. Winchell and Patrick share their firsthand accounts of the extreme challenges faced during the Ker...