Grabs 161 Orem Fire Department, UT, (7/19/2025)

Name and Rank: Austin McBride Firefighter Critical Care Paramedic 

Department Name: City of Orem Fire Department 

Date of Grab: 7/19/2025

Type of building: 2 story residential with add-on/DIY construction. Ill add a picture so you can reference it. 

Approx time from arrival to removal: 7 minutes

Weight of the victim (approximately): 140

Method of removal: VES, removed out of second story window via ladders. 

3-4 takeaways for show notes: 1) Due to communication lapses, I ended up performing the search alone, so I had to modify our standard search tactics: 2 people,1 isolates, one searches. Due to no visibility and quick location of the victim right by the window, isolating the door was delayed to effect the rescue. We can talk about the fire conditions and why I made that decision. 2) The window we brought the victim out of had a car parked right in front of it, so ladders were augmented to the side of the car, making the rescue more difficult (for those who encounter this in the future, stick that ladder right through the windshield) 3) Instead of bending the victim's legs at the window and hoisting the victim out the window, I found clean air right at the window and sat him up just below the window while I waited for ladders to be thrown and help to arrive to me. 4) I was engineer (driver) that day, so I was in a pumping mindset. Once an audible was called and our assignment was changed to rescue mode, I found myself lacking some critical equipment once performing the rescue: Radio, tool and water can. Take away: Always prepare for a potential rescue or for an audible to be called, even if you are a driver (Engineer), or even a fourth due arrival you never know. 

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