The Real ResQ Podcast

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 intense cases as a flight mechanic. Lau...

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 - Paraic Slattery and Jim O’Neill.  T...

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 inside look at the discipline, pressure...

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, Safe by Design,” highlighting how high...

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-world rescue deployments. From nighttim...

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 emotional weight of high-stress operations, ...

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 Network (CAN) and United Carolina’s C...

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 through rescue missions, where strang...

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 cumulative stress can quietly build over ti...

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, and ultimately finding his calling...

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 planning, execution, and precise coordi...

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 that would test his training and resolv...

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 response and the realities of high-stakes ...

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 emergency response, recounting daring ho...

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 Texas DPS team shares firsthand storie...

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 Kerrville flood response. They walk thr...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast — the second of seven episodes highlighting the rescue efforts during the Kerr County, Texas Floods of July 4th, 2025 — host Jason Quinn dives into the world of emergency response coordination with DJ Walker, a seasoned rescue captain out of Austin, Texas.

Walker shares his experiences managing the Joint Air Ground Coordination Team, offering a rare inside look at what it takes to synchronize...

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast—the first of seven episodes highlighting the rescue efforts during the Kerr County, Texas Floods of July 4th, 2025—host Jason Quinn sits down with Mark Moody, a Lieutenant with the San Antonio Fire Department and Squad Leader for Texas Task Force One.

Recording from his home in the heart of Texas, Moody shares powerful firsthand experiences—from his very first water rescue to the harrowing Ke...

In this ASTerisk episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, recorded in-person at European Rotors in Cologne, Germany, host Jason Quinn sits down with Dave Weber, owner of the Mountain Rescue Collective, National Park Service Climbing Ranger, Flight Paramedic and Keynote Speaker for a powerful discussion on the art of “striving for failure.”

Together, they explore how pushing boundaries and embracing setbacks can reveal personal and professi...