HAZARD CLASS

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=8-1GoFundMe Link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-speech-retaliation-and-the-cost-of-integrityGiveSendGo Link: https://www.givesendgo.com/JusticeForHoltWebsite: www.justiceforholt.com Social Media:https://www.facebook.com/justiceforholt?mibextid=wwXIfrhttps://x.com/JusticeForHolthttps://www.tiktok.com/@justiceforholt?_t=ZP-8ylXnP9WaYY&_r=1YouTube: https://youtube.com/@justiceforholt?si=fHsg-0Phqqbp3dStTenth Circuit Decision: https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/opinions/010111463857.pdfOral argument recording:https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/oralarguments/25-1159.mp3HAIX USA: https://www.haixusa.com/Rigaku Analytical Devices: https://rigakuanalytical.com/

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 DeGearDennis 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 MatthewsPeter 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 ProvencherRyan 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.

Retired FDNY Battalion Chief Jerry Tracy joins Hazard Class for a wide-ranging conversation about fire service leadership, mentorship, training, professional standards, and the lessons learned over a lifetime in the New York City Fire Department.Tracy reflects on the firefighters and officers who shaped his career, the importance of staying humble and teachable, and why the fire service depends on each generation passing its knowledge to the next. He shares stories from busy FDNY engine and ladder companies, discusses the standards that defined companies like Ladder 108 and Ladder 4, and explains how experience, discipline, teamwork, and preparation create competent firefighters.The conversation also explores Tracy’s role in helping build FDNY Squad 18, including his decision to select legendary firefighter and instructor Andy Fredericks as one of the company’s original members. Tracy discusses Fredericks’ influence on firefighter training, the Back to Basics program, fireground credibility, and the importance of learning outside your own department or organization.Jerry and Jake also dig into fire service leadership and the relationship between firefighters and chief officers. They discuss firefighter safety, aggressive fire attack, decision-making, training, operational competence, leadership credibility, and why safety is often achieved through knowledge, repetition, discipline, and strong fundamentals rather than policy alone.Part FDNY history lesson and part kitchen-table firehouse conversation, this episode is packed with stories and lessons for firefighters, company officers, instructors, chief officers, and anyone interested in becoming more competent in the fire service.GUEST BIO:Jerry Tracy is a retired Battalion Chief of the New York City Fire Department and one of the fire service’s most respected voices on firefighting, training, leadership, and fireground operations.During his FDNY career, Tracy served in engine and ladder companies throughout New York City and later became the captain of FDNY Squad 18, one of the department’s newly formed Special Operations Command squad companies. While assembling the company, Tracy selected firefighters and officers based on their experience, professionalism, and ability to train across multiple disciplines, including legendary FDNY firefighter and instructor Andy Fredericks.Tracy was also involved in the development and delivery of FDNY training programs, including the department’s Back to Basics initiative, and has spent decades teaching firefighters about engine and truck company operations, fireground decision-making, leadership, professional standards, and operational readiness.Known for combining extensive fireground experience with a strong commitment to mentorship and firefighter education, Tracy continues to share the lessons, traditions, and hard-earned knowledge of the FDNY with firefighters across the country. His approach emphasizes competence, discipline, teamwork, preparation, and the responsibility experienced firefighters have to pass what they have learned to the next generation.THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!HAIX Firefighting Boots:https://www.haixusa.com/Rigaku Analytical Devices:https://rigaku.com/

Jake sits down with fire service veteran Corley Moore for a deep dive into firefighter mindset, mastery, and organizational culture. They unpack the core challenges of fire training: moving past minimum standards, confronting "hollow ego" and the Dunning-Kruger effect, and helping firefighters understand the life-or-death gravity of their craft. Moore outlines his "Passion Triangle" framework—heat (the calling), fuel (personal willpower and resilience), and oxygen (the surrounding network of peers)—to explain how enthusiasm burns out and how leaders can reignite it. The conversation emphasizes that competency is the bedrock of leadership, proving that lasting cultural change is driven not by administrative policy, but through relationships, shared values, and early adopters. Finally, the two reflect on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, honoring the enduring legacy of fallen mentors and the responsibility to carry the torch forward.KEY TOPICS COVERED• Moving from baseline compliance to true mastery and buy-in• Why extreme job competency acts as a primary shield against moral injury• Navigating the Dunning-Kruger effect, overconfidence, and "hollow ego"• Breaking down the Passion Triangle: Calling, Fuel, and Connection• Driving cultural buy-in through relationships rather than rulebooks• Honoring the legacy and impact of the 25th anniversary of 9/11GUEST BIO: CORLEY MOORECorley Moore is a 28-year fire service veteran, author, and widely recognized leadership instructor. He is the founder of Firehouse Vigilance and the host of The Weekly Scrap, a popular podcast dedicated to real talk, cultural growth, and professional excellence in the fire service. Known for developing impactful leadership concepts such as "The 9 L’s" and the "Passion Triangle," Moore travels nationally to teach firefighters and company officers how to build high-standard cultures through relational leadership, shared values, and unapologetic competence.CONNECT WITH CORLEY MOORE & FIREHOUSE VIGILANCE• Firehouse Vigilance Website: https://www.firehousevigilance.com• The Weekly Scrap Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-scrap-firefighter-podcast/id1518158884• Corley Moore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firehousevigilanceSPONSORS • HAIX Boots (Fire Eagle Air & Fire Eagle Extreme): https://www.haixusa.com• Rigaku Analytical Devices (CQL Gen-X / Handheld Raman Solutions): https://www.rigakuanalytical.com

Chief Curt “Ike” Isakson has spent more than three decades obsessed with the American fire service. In this episode of Hazard Class, he joins Jake for a deeply personal conversation about firefighting, leadership, mental health, resilience, family, and what it means to dedicate your life to the craft.Chief Ike opens up about the difficult end of his 25-year career with Escambia County Fire Rescue, the leadership conflicts and personal struggles that followed, and the mental health crisis that ultimately led him to the IAFF Center of Excellence. He discusses suicidal ideation, spending 42 days in treatment, and how that experience changed the way he views his career, family, leadership, and future.Now serving as Deputy Chief with Bay County Fire Rescue, Isakson describes what feels like the beginning of a new chapter. He discusses the rapid growth taking place in Bay County and his evolving leadership philosophy built around four ideas: caring, coaching, culture, and creativity.The conversation also examines one of the contradictions of a career in the fire service: how do you give everything you have to the job without allowing the job to become everything you have?Years ago, Isakson gave Jake a piece of advice that stuck with him: “The fire service will never love you back.” They revisit what that statement means after everything both men have experienced. Curt explains why firefighters should love the job, pursue competence, train relentlessly, and take pride in the profession while remembering that when the career ends, their family and relationships are what remain.As the 25th anniversary of September 11 approaches, Curt reflects on his connection to the FDNY, the influence of Andy Fredericks, and the responsibility of today's firefighters to remember those who came before them and carry their knowledge forward.That leads into a larger discussion about succession, mentorship, fire service culture, and why knowledge should be shared rather than guarded. The next generation should not simply preserve the fire service. They should make it better.The episode eventually returns to the place where Chief Ike has always felt most at home: the fireground.He explains why firefighting has always felt natural to him, why bunker gear once felt like putting on a Superman suit, and why decades later he still finds his greatest confidence with a hose line, Halligan, hook, axe, or saw in his hands.This is a conversation about surviving the valleys, appreciating the mountaintops, learning from bad leadership, becoming a better leader yourself, protecting your family from your obsession with the job, and never losing respect for the craft.Most importantly, it is a reminder that you can love the fire service with everything you have while still remembering there is a life beyond it.GUEST BIOChief Curt “Ike” Isakson is a veteran firefighter, fire officer, instructor, and fire service leader with more than three decades of experience in the American fire service.His career includes nine years with the Pensacola Fire Department and 25 years with Escambia County Fire Rescue, where he spent more than two decades serving as a battalion chief. In 2026, Isakson began a new chapter as Deputy Chief with Bay County Fire Rescue in Florida.Known throughout the fire service for his passion for engine company operations, fireground tactics, training, and firemanship, Isakson has spent decades studying the craft and learning from some of the most influential firefighters and fire officers in the profession.Despite the titles and decades of experience, Isakson still describes himself first and foremost as a fireman. His passion remains rooted in the fundamentals of the job: hose lines, nozzles, forcible entry, tools, fireground competency, and the relentless pursuit of becoming better at the craft.County Fire Tacticshttps://countyfiretactics.com/HAIXhttps://www.haixusa.com/Rigaku Analytical Deviceshttps://www.rigakuanalytical.com/