Joseph (Joe) Drab has served as a firefighter/paramedic for 14 years with Norfolk Fire Rescue in Virginia. Throughout his career, he has completed a 7-month fire academy, led two recruit academies as an instructor, piloted fireboats, served in Special Operations (Rescue Company 1), and helped found both the Peer Support Team and the Community Outreach Program. He was also named Firefighter of the Year. Joe serves the City of Norfolk, a 66-square-mile area with about 250,000 residents that swells to 350,000 during the workday and is home to Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval base. Norfolk Fire Rescue handles around 50,000 fire and EMS calls annually across 14 stations, staffed by over 500 members operating engines, ambulances, ladder trucks, rescue units, fireboats, and battalion chiefs. Life-or-death emergencies occur daily, making Norfolk one of the busiest and most demanding environments for first responders. Are you an educator? Go to edutainmentlearning.com/podcasts to download student worksheets for every episode!
