HAZARD CLASS

About HAZARD CLASS

HAZARD CLASS is the podcast where the curiosity of genuine questions in and around the world of emergency services is met with the knowledge of leading experts in their fields.

Publisher

Jake Ryks

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

11 Oct 2024

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

147 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   THE IBOGAINE DIARIES: Trauma, Healing & Starting Over | Dr. David Griffin | HC0088

   In this deeply personal episode of Hazard Class, Jake Ryks sits down with Dr. David Griffin, retired assistant chief with the Charleston Fire Department and author of The Ibogaine Diaries, to talk about what happened after he walked away from the fire service and began rebuilding his life. Griffin traces the cumulative weight of nearly two decades of trauma, beginning with the 2007 Sofa Super Store fire that killed nine Charleston firefighters. He describes years of anger, depression, isolation, strained relationships, prescription medication, and the pressure of rising through the ranks while feeling increasingly disconnected from himself. After deciding to retire, Griffin traveled to Mexico for medically supervised ibogaine treatment, an experience he describes in vivid and sometimes brutal detail. The conversation follows the flood dose, booster doses, visions of the Charleston fire, and the difficult work of processing guilt and trauma. Griffin also emphasizes the integration that followed: therapy, meditation, prayer, rebuilding his marriage, reconnecting with family, and changing how he approaches work, identity, and purpose. This is a raw conversation about trauma, forgiveness, identity, relationships, and learning how to build a life you actually want to live. GUEST BIO: Dr. David Griffin is a retired assistant chief with the Charleston Fire Department, author, educator, speaker, and longtime fire service instructor. His career was profoundly shaped by the 2007 Sofa Super Store fire, where nine Charleston firefighters were killed. Griffin went on to serve as an engineer, captain, battalion chief, shift commander, and assistant chief while dedicating much of his career to teaching leadership and fire service operations. His newest book, The Ibogaine Diaries, documents his decision to retire, his experience undergoing ibogaine treatment in Mexico, and the personal work that followed. Today, Griffin continues to teach, speak, podcast, and share his story with a focus on trauma, mental health, leadership, family, authenticity, and personal growth. CONNECT WITH DR. DAVID GRIFFIN Dr. David Griffin: www.drdavidgriffin.com (https://www.drdavidgriffin.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) The Ibogaine Diaries: The Ibogaine Diaries | Dr. David Griffin (https://www.drdavidgriffin.com/ibogaine.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com) THANK YOU TO OUR EPISODE SPONSORS HAIX USA: www.haixusa.com (https://www.haixusa.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Rigaku Analytical Devices: www.rigakuanalytical.com (https://www.rigakuanalytical.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Free Speech, Retaliation, and the Cost of Integrity | Erik Holt Returns | HC0087

   What happens when doing what you believe is right costs you your career, your home, your financial security, and years of your life? Erik Holt returns to Hazard Class for the next chapter in one of the wildest stories we’ve ever covered. In Episode 47, Erik told us how he went from Army veteran and career firefighter to fire chief of a struggling Colorado fire district. In a matter of months, he helped rebuild the department from only a handful of responders into a 60-plus-member combination department, dramatically improving staffing, EMS capability, and response times. Then came a fire district election, allegations of misconduct, security footage, a criminal investigation, and Erik’s sudden termination. And somehow, that was only the beginning. This time, Erik catches us up on everything that has happened since. We talk about his federal First Amendment case, his appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, newly uncovered evidence obtained through discovery, and his ongoing wrongful termination and breach-of-contract litigation in Colorado state court. But this episode is about more than court filings. Erik explains why he believes the oath taken by firefighters and public servants has to mean something, especially when honoring it becomes personally expensive. He talks about whistleblower protections, free speech, integrity, and the example he wants to leave for his daughters. We also discuss his new book, Free Speech, Retaliation, and the Cost of Integrity, which documents the fire department, the election controversy, the legal battles, and the personal consequences his family experienced along the way. If you heard Episode 47, this is the update you’ve been waiting for. If you didn’t, start there first. Because somehow, the Erik Holt story keeps getting crazier. Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Free-Speech-Retaliation-Cost-Integrity/dp/B0H8K257B5/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=TYJ2JB6V4A1J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ssxEwq1W9emmsURVM_TzuZt-nedUVr_RI2VGYVjw_WO3ymdJJliR1MZW3JJWTGIFiN88XqaioNjde1SQrLKMpw.JZcwmtnOOjIFrC_iGqrp3uHgPjxjPj3LK9iEuxCuiL0&dib_tag=se&keywords=free+speech+retaliation+and+the+cost+of+integrity&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1790717256&sprefix=free+speech+ret%2Caps%2C241&sr=8-1 (https://www.amazon.com/Free-Speech-Retaliation-Cost-Integrity/dp/B0H8K257B5/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=TYJ2JB6V4A1J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ssxEwq1W9emmsURVM_TzuZt-nedUVr_RI2VGYVjw_WO3ymdJJliR1MZW3JJWTGIFiN88XqaioNjde1SQrLKMpw.JZcwmtnOOjIFrC_iGqrp3uHgPjxjPj3LK9iEuxCuiL0&dib_tag=se&keywords=free+speech+retaliation+and+the+cost+of+integrity&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1790717256&sprefix=free+speech+ret%2Caps%2C241&sr=8-1) GoFundMe Link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-speech-retaliation-and-the-cost-of-integrity (https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-speech-retaliation-and-the-cost-of-integrity) GiveSendGo Link: https://www.givesendgo.com/JusticeForHolt (https://www.givesendgo.com/JusticeForHolt) Website: www.justiceforholt.com Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/justiceforholt?mibextid=wwXIfr https://x.com/JusticeForHolt (https://x.com/JusticeForHolt) https://www.tiktok.com/@justiceforholt?_t=ZP-8ylXnP9WaYY&_r=1 (https://www.tiktok.com/@justiceforholt?_t=ZP-8ylXnP9WaYY&_r=1) YouTube: https://youtube.com/@justiceforholt?si=fHsg-0Phqqbp3dSt (https://youtube.com/@justiceforholt?si=fHsg-0Phqqbp3dSt) Tenth Circuit Decision: https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/opinions/010111463857.pdf (https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/opinions/010111463857.pdf) Oral argument recording: https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/oralarguments/25-1159.mp3 (https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/oralarguments/25-1159.mp3) HAIX USA: https://www.haixusa.com/ (https://www.haixusa.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)Rigaku Analytical Devices: https://rigakuanalytical.com/ (https://rigakuanalytical.com/)

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

   (BONUS EPISODE) Tradition, Progress & Why the Fire Service Matters | Dennis LeGear | Peter Matthews | Ryan Provencher

   In this special bonus episode of Hazard Class, Jake hits record during a late-night drive across Minnesota and lets the conversation go wherever the road takes it. Part solo episode, part road-trip journal, and part rapid-fire interview show, the episode moves through engine company operations, fire service culture, training, fitness, leadership, and the constant challenge of balancing tradition with progress. Jake reflects on the ongoing transition to low-pressure smoothbore operations, the role of the engine company in supporting search, and why simply getting the fire out is not a high enough standard. The real goal is creating searchable, survivable space and continually finding ways to make fireground operations faster, simpler, and more effective. Along the way, three friends join the ride. Dennis DeGear digs into pump operations, discharge pressures, gating, apparatus plumbing, and the concept of moving toward more standardized pump discharge pressures across different attack lines. The conversation gets deep into the practical realities of making modern hose and nozzle packages work from the pump panel to the nozzle. Peter Matthews, Editor-in-Chief of Firehouse Magazine, joins Jake for a conversation about the relationship between fire service history and innovation. They discuss why understanding where our practices came from is essential to knowing what should change, what should remain, and how lessons from incidents like Worcester and September 11 continue to influence the modern fire service. Ryan Provencher of Firefighter Peak Performance talks about maintaining firefighter fitness when life gets busy. Ryan explains the idea of "movement snacks," short, intentional periods of activity or exercise that can help firefighters continue training movement patterns, maintain conditioning, and stay physically prepared even when a traditional workout does not fit into the day. The episode ultimately lands on something bigger than hose, nozzles, fitness, or tactics: purpose. The fire service cannot improve simply for the sake of innovation, and it cannot preserve tradition simply because something has always been done a certain way. Training, studying, experimenting, and refining the craft matter because eventually someone will be depending on those skills when everything has gone wrong. Keep learning. Keep training. Keep pushing for better. It is not for us. It is for them. Dennis DeGear Dennis DeGear is a nationally recognized fire service instructor and subject-matter expert in engine company operations, hose, nozzles, hydraulics, and water delivery. In this episode, Dennis joins Jake for a technical conversation about pump discharge pressures, apparatus plumbing, gating practices, and the possibilities created by designing hose and nozzle packages around more consistent operating pressures. Peter Matthews Peter Matthews is the Editor-in-Chief of Firehouse Magazine. He joins the episode to discuss the importance of understanding fire service history while continuing to evolve operational practices, equipment, training, and technology. Peter reflects on lessons passed down through major incidents and generations of firefighters, and why meaningful progress depends on understanding how the fire service arrived where it is today. Ryan Provencher Ryan Provencher is the founder of Firefighter Peak Performance and a former fire service training officer with extensive experience developing fitness programs specifically for firefighters. In this episode, Ryan discusses practical ways firefighters can maintain strength, mobility, and conditioning during demanding periods of life, including the use of short, intentional "movement snacks" throughout the day.

Who has been a guest on HAZARD CLASS

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Shane Neckel
• Paul Jameson
• Jon Vought
• David Rhodes
• Mike Monaco

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

101,311

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

15 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

11 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 76 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

79

Social presence

94

YouTube

82

Engagement

51

Contact HAZARD CLASS

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about HAZARD CLASS