Kevin Hazzard, author, No One’s Coming: The Rogue Heroes Our Government Turns to When There’s Nowhere Else to Turn
What happens when a deadly virus meets a ticking clock—and no clear plan?
This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ira sits down with author and former paramedic Kevin Hazzard to unpack the gripping true story behind No One’s Coming: The Rogue Heroes Our Government Turns to When There’s Nowhere Else to Turn. At the center: the 2014 Ebola outbreak, one of the most terrifying public health crises in modern history, and a daring rescue mission that pushed the limits of science, aviation, and human courage.
Kevin shares why his fascination with high-risk, high-stakes situations drew him to this story—and how a small, unconventional company called Phoenix Air became the world’s last line of defense. From the development of groundbreaking containment technology to the intense opposition surrounding the mission, this episode explores the razor-thin line between saving lives and risking a wider outbreak.
You’ll hear how fear and hysteria spread just as quickly as the virus itself, why even U.S. states like Maine reacted with alarm, and how a robust public health infrastructure ultimately played a critical role. At its core, this is a story about ordinary people stepping up in extraordinary circumstances—facing danger head-on when the world needed them most.
ABOUT KEVIN:
Kevin Hazzard is a journalist, TV writer, and former paramedic. He is the author of American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics (Hachette Books 2022). His first book, A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back, was published by Scribner in 2016. He now writes for film/TV, with work produced by Hulu, CBS, ABC and Universal. His freelance journalism has been published at 99% Invisible, the Atavist, Men’s Journal, Creative Loafing, Atlanta Magazine, and elsewhere. He is also a sought-after voice on emergency medicine. He lives in Atlanta.