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The HazMat Guys

The HazMat Guys

By: Bobby Salvesen and Mike Monaco
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Summary
 From a spark of knowledge on a podcast to a comprehensive training hub, we empower responders of all levels in the ever-evolving world of hazmat response. Through hundreds of episodes, online courses, and in-person programs, we bridge the gap between novice and expert, fostering a collaborative community of continuous learning. Together, we equip responders with the skills and knowledge to navigate hazardous situations safely and effectively.Bobby Salvesen and Mike Monaco
Episodes
  • Does Better Hazmat Gear Make Us Safer or Just Bolder?

    Does Better Hazmat Gear Make Us Safer or Just Bolder?
    6 Nov 2026
    Better suits, faster chemical identification, and electronic reference tools give hazmat teams capabilities that earlier generations never had. But can feeling more protected change the decisions responders make? Bobby and Mike examine risk compensation as a question worth testing, not proof that modern equipment makes hazmat response less safe.They compare older and newer entry tactics, debate whether excessive instrumentation can create analysis paralysis, and ask whether improved outcomes come from better decisions or simply better technology. The central issue: when a meter provides the answer, does the technician still understand what the answer means?Key Moments00:00 The risk compensation question1990s entries versus modern hazmat capabilitiesLevel A suits and tactical choicesWhen more meters create analysis paralysisMore entries versus fewer injuries per entryAre tools replacing core technician knowledge?Episode SponsorsRigaku Analytical DevicesRigaku provides handheld Raman analyzers for first responders facing unknown hazards. Their 1064 nm Raman technology reduces fluorescence interference, enabling chemical identification in under a minute—even in difficult samples. Rigaku’s fourth-generation platform expands accessory support to help teams assess hazards faster and safer.https://www.rigakuanalytical.comTeledyne FLIR DefenseCBRNE threats don’t wait for safe locations. Teledyne FLIR Defense equips responders, security professionals, and military personnel with real-time detection tools for mobile, fixed, and covert deployment. From handheld trace detectors to autonomous bio-monitors, their technology ensures rapid threat recognition and evidence-quality documentation in any environment.https://defense.flir.com908 Devices908 Devices delivers handheld chemical analysis tools addressing fentanyl exposure, toxic industrial hazards, and global security threats. Responders use these devices to rapidly detect, identify, and monitor thousands of chemical hazards—bulk or trace—directly at the point of need.https://www.908devices.comObexionFRObexionFR is a mobile solution for lithium-ion battery fires developed by former FDNY HazMat experts. It neutralizes fires by addressing heat, oxygen, and fuel—cooling batteries, isolating oxygen, and preventing re-ignition while maintaining safe gas levels.https://www.obexionfr.comFire Suppression SolutionsFire Suppression Solutions, based in Slinger, Wisconsin, is the U.S. master distributor for advanced suppression technologies. Their partnership with LifeSafe Technologies delivers TRF (Thermal Runaway Fluid), proven through testing to extinguish lithium-ion battery fires. Products include A & B fire solutions and BSI-rated systems across 10 categories, including lithium-ion batteries.https://www.firesuppressionsolutions.comTraining & ResourcesMain websiteTrainingContactBooks & ProductsNHERD Volume 1NHERD Volume 2Are You Compliant?Building a HazMat TeamYou Suck at Teaching HazMatNERHD: The GameMedia NetworkCommand Media NetworkHazard ClassIndustrial Strength: Haz Mat HarderMerchShop The Haz Mat Guys merchFollowFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeOfficial TaglineDon’t just get on the job. Get into it.™Music CreditMusic from #InAudiohttps://inaudio.org/SportRock & Workout
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    28 min
  • Is Getting 1% Better Enough When Lives Are on the Line?

    Is Getting 1% Better Enough When Lives Are on the Line?
    30 Oct 2026
    Is getting 1% better every day enough if a response crew never sets its sights on excellence? FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito joins Bobby Salvesen and Mike Monaco to discuss the standards, training, and culture behind effective fire and hazmat teams.They examine why firefighters need to know their jobs without waiting for direction, how peer accountability and repeated drilling turn mistakes into skills, and why senior members and strong instructors set the tone. Esposito also explains how connecting routine tasks like building inspections to firefighter safety can motivate crews more effectively than simply issuing orders.Key Moments00:00 Opening and sponsor messages03:33 Why the instructor matters06:56 Small gains versus high standards10:16 Knowing your job on arrival16:26 Accountability and focused drills17:57 Better instructors, better fundamentals20:52 Motivating crews with purpose24:56 Culture, standards, and complacencyEpisode SponsorsRigaku Analytical DevicesRigaku provides handheld Raman analyzers for first responders facing unknown hazards. Their 1064 nm Raman technology reduces fluorescence interference, enabling chemical identification in under a minute—even in difficult samples. Rigaku’s fourth-generation platform expands accessory support to help teams assess hazards faster and safer.https://www.rigakuanalytical.comTeledyne FLIR DefenseCBRNE threats don’t wait for safe locations. Teledyne FLIR Defense equips responders, security professionals, and military personnel with real-time detection tools for mobile, fixed, and covert deployment. From handheld trace detectors to autonomous bio-monitors, their technology ensures rapid threat recognition and evidence-quality documentation in any environment.https://defense.flir.com908 Devices908 Devices delivers handheld chemical analysis tools addressing fentanyl exposure, toxic industrial hazards, and global security threats. Responders use these devices to rapidly detect, identify, and monitor thousands of chemical hazards—bulk or trace—directly at the point of need.https://www.908devices.comObexionFRObexionFR is a mobile solution for lithium-ion battery fires developed by former FDNY HazMat experts. It neutralizes fires by addressing heat, oxygen, and fuel—cooling batteries, isolating oxygen, and preventing re-ignition while maintaining safe gas levels.https://www.obexionfr.comFire Suppression SolutionsFire Suppression Solutions, based in Slinger, Wisconsin, is the U.S. master distributor for advanced suppression technologies. Their partnership with LifeSafe Technologies delivers TRF (Thermal Runaway Fluid), proven through testing to extinguish lithium-ion battery fires. Products include A & B fire solutions and BSI-rated systems across 10 categories, including lithium-ion batteries.https://www.firesuppressionsolutions.comTraining & ResourcesMain websiteTrainingContactBooks & ProductsNHERD Volume 1NHERD Volume 2Are You Compliant?Building a HazMat TeamYou Suck at Teaching HazMatNERHD: The GameMedia NetworkCommand Media NetworkHazard ClassIndustrial Strength: Haz Mat HarderMerchMerchFollowFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeOfficial TaglineDon’t just get on the job. Get into it.™Music CreditMusic from #InAudiohttps://inaudio.org/SportRock & Workout
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    31 min
  • Explosives, Liquid Oxygen, and the Hazmat Myths We Still Teach

    Explosives, Liquid Oxygen, and the Hazmat Myths We Still Teach
    23 Oct 2026
    Hazmat rules can survive for decades without anyone checking whether they are true. Bobby and Mike talk with Jesse Taylor about liquid oxygen stories, old picric acid, explosives, radio transmissions, and the risks of applying Raman or FTIR analysis to energetic materials. They examine how real hazards become exaggerated or misunderstood as stories pass between responders and instructors.The practical question is how to teach and make decisions when firsthand experience is limited. Jesse makes the case for primary research, documented experience, and controlled training instead of repeating an unverified story. A procedure working once does not mean it was safe.Episode SponsorsRigaku Analytical DevicesRigaku provides handheld Raman analyzers for first responders facing unknown hazards. Their 1064 nm Raman technology reduces fluorescence interference, enabling chemical identification in under a minute—even in difficult samples. Rigaku’s fourth-generation platform expands accessory support to help teams assess hazards faster and safer.https://www.rigakuanalytical.comTeledyne FLIR DefenseCBRNE threats don’t wait for safe locations. Teledyne FLIR Defense equips responders, security professionals, and military personnel with real-time detection tools for mobile, fixed, and covert deployment. From handheld trace detectors to autonomous bio-monitors, their technology ensures rapid threat recognition and evidence-quality documentation in any environment.https://defense.flir.com908 Devices908 Devices delivers handheld chemical analysis tools addressing fentanyl exposure, toxic industrial hazards, and global security threats. Responders use these devices to rapidly detect, identify, and monitor thousands of chemical hazards—bulk or trace—directly at the point of need.https://www.908devices.comObexionFRObexionFR is a mobile solution for lithium-ion battery fires developed by former FDNY HazMat experts. It neutralizes fires by addressing heat, oxygen, and fuel—cooling batteries, isolating oxygen, and preventing re-ignition while maintaining safe gas levels.https://www.obexionfr.comFire Suppression SolutionsFire Suppression Solutions, based in Slinger, Wisconsin, is the U.S. master distributor for advanced suppression technologies. Their partnership with LifeSafe Technologies delivers TRF (Thermal Runaway Fluid), proven through testing to extinguish lithium-ion battery fires. Products include A & B fire solutions and BSI-rated systems across 10 categories, including lithium-ion batteries.https://www.firesuppressionsolutions.comTraining & ResourcesMain website: https://thehazmatguys.com/Training: https://thehazmatguys.com/training/Contact: https://thehazmatguys.com/contact/Books & ProductsNHERD Volume 1: https://thehazmatguys.com/product/national-emergency-response-hazmat-drills-nerhd/NHERD Volume 2: https://thehazmatguys.com/product/second-edition-national-emergency-response-hazmat-drills-nerhd2/Are You Compliant?: https://thehazmatguys.com/product/are-you-compliant/Building a HazMat Team: https://thehazmatguys.com/product/building-a-hazmat-team/You Suck at Teaching HazMat: https://thehazmatguys.com/product/you-suck/NERHD: The Game: https://thehazmatguys.com/product/nerhd-the-game/Media NetworkCommand Media Network: https://commandmedianetwork.com/Hazard Class: https://thehazmatguys.com/hazard-class/Industrial Strength: Haz Mat Harder: https://thehazmatguys.com/industrial-strength-podcast/Merchhttps://thehazmatguys.com/store/#materialsFollowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehazmatguysInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehazmatguysLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-haz-mat-guysYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thehazmatguysDon’t just get on the job. Get into it.™Music CreditMusic from #InAudiohttps://inaudio.org/SportRock & Workout
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    35 min
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