The Real ResQ Podcast
Episode 276: Steve Glassey: Public Safety Pracademic and CEO of IPSQA
In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn sits down with Dr. Steve Glassey, a public safety “pracademic” and CEO of the International Public Safety Qualifications Authority (IPSQA). Glassey’s nearly 30-year career has taken him through the Royal New Zealand Navy, emergency medical services, firefighting, urban search and rescue, swiftwater rescue, animal welfare, humanitarian disaster response, and academia. His work has brought him to major disasters around the world, including Typhoon Ketsana in Laos, the Samoan tsunami, the Christchurch earthquake, and the devastating Australian bushfires. The conversation begins with Glassey’s early years in rescue and the creation of the Wellington SPCA Animal Rescue Unit—the first technical animal rescue team of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. He recalls one of the team's earliest missions involving Ace, a German shepherd trapped on a cliff, an improvised harness, and a hard lesson in never taking an owner's word that their dog won't bite. Glassey also shares the story of his first cardiac-arrest patient and explains how those early experiences shaped his approach to emergency response, leadership, and decision-making. The conversation then moves into major disaster operations and lessons from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Glassey discusses the importance of clearly established command structures and introduces his ABCs of emergency response: “Assume nothing. Believe no one. Confirm everything.” Glassey and Quinn examine the dangers of swiftwater and flood rescue, including the frequency of vehicle-related flood deaths and the growing “glass coffin” problem created by laminated vehicle windows. Glassey explains why traditional window-breaking tools may no longer work on newer vehicles and why rescuers must begin adapting their tactics and equipment. They also discuss the Swiftwater Recovery Specialist program developed by Glassey and New Zealand Police Senior Sergeant Jeff Bray. The program received a Higgins & Langley Memorial Award for its evidence-based and compassionate approach to recovering deceased victims from moving water. Glassey explains why a technically successful recovery can still become a failure when the dignity of the victim and the needs of the family are overlooked. One of the episode’s most intense stories involves a horse trapped beneath a cliff along the rising Otaki River. The rescue required rope technicians, swiftwater personnel, veterinarians, and a helicopter crew to work together. Once the horse was sedated, the team had only seconds to connect the sling and lift it clear before its head disappeared beneath the rising water. Glassey also recounts deploying with Animal Evac New Zealand during the catastrophic 2019–2020 Australian bushfires, where his team searched burned areas for surviving wildlife and relocated animals left without food or water. The episode then turns to Glassey’s work as CEO of IPSQA. He explains how fraudulent, unverified, and poorly assessed qualifications can place rescuers, patients, and entire organizations at risk. IPSQA separates training from independent certification, creating a global assessment system intended to verify that public safety professionals can actually perform the skills listed on their credentials. Finally, Glassey introduces a next-generation water rescue breathing apparatus developed for swiftwater rescuers, boat crews, tactical operators, and other water-rescue professionals. The system automatically transitions from ambient air to compressed air when submerged while also providing integrated team and patient communications. He believes the technology could eventually change water rescue in much the same way breathing apparatus changed structural firefighting. The episode closes with a hilarious story involving highly trained U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen, a nighttime swiftwater exercise, and a completely fabricated warning about giant killer eels in New Zealand. This episode delivers powerful rescue stories, hard-earned lessons, innovative ideas, and plenty of humor—all from a man working at the intersection of frontline experience, research, education, and public safety. Enjoy! Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ: READYBAR https://getreadybar.com/ IPSQA https://ipsqa.com/ . (To learn more about IPSQA, visit IPSQA.com or connect with Dr. Steve Glassey on LinkedIn.) We also have some amazing companies supporting The Real ResQ. These brands offer you exclusive discounts when you use our code, and when you do, you’re helping to support the show. To check out the full list of these supportive brands and the deals they offer, head over to TheRealResQ.com . Follow The Real ResQ for all updates on Facebook , Instagram or visit TheRealResQ.com
