When systems hesitate, they deploy: The rogue air crews who faced Ebola head-on

About this episode

This episode explores the extraordinary efforts of rogue air crews during the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence sits down with Kevin Hazzard to explore No One’s Coming, a gripping account of the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the extraordinary effort to rescue infected American aid workers from West Africa. |WATCH NOW: FDNY’s future: AI, BWCs and pay parity with Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore What begins as a seemingly impossible mission evolved into a high-stakes, time-critical operation led by Phoenix Air — a team known for taking on the missions no one else will. Hazzard traces the origins of this unconventional organization, from transporting explosives and nuclear materials, to pioneering aeromedical evacuation of the world’s most dangerous infectious patients. The conversation moves beyond storytelling into operational reality. With no established protocols, limited knowledge of Ebola and widespread public fear, crews were forced to improvise, adapt and execute under intense pressure. The episode examines the intersection of EMS readiness, public health hesitation and leadership under uncertainty. At its core, this is a study in preparation, risk tolerance and professional duty — illustrating how a small group of individuals stepped forward…

People in this episode

Host: Rob Lawrence

Guest: Kevin Hazzard

Topics covered

• Ebola outbreak
• EMS readiness
• public health
• leadership
• aeromedical evacuation
• risk tolerance

Keywords

• Ebola
• Phoenix Air
• aeromedical evacuation
• public health
• EMS
• leadership
• risk tolerance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Phoenix Air, FDNY

Books & works: No One’s Coming

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