
Show Notes
Host Captain Shawn Millerick is back in the field and in the studio to inform, educate and entertain with Episode 23 of the PIO Podcast.
Recruitment Roundtable with Captain Andrea Binley Shawn is joined by Andrea Binley for a deep dive into everything recruitment. Andrea breaks down current and upcoming hiring opportunities, including Firefighter/Paramedic, Firefighter/Paramedic Trainee (EMT), Nurse Educator, and Ambulance Operator positions. She walks listeners through application windows, key testing and interview dates, recruitment seminars across the county, and the return of hosted CTC written exams. The conversation also covers the new candidate assessment process designed to ensure recruits are physically ready for Tower 21, set to start this September.
Life Around Headquarters: Stories, Laughs, and Mountain Lions Between meetings and busy hallways, the crew keeps things light with stories from around the district—including an early-morning generator refill under the watchful (imagined) eyes of a mountain lion. Rosie returns to the mic, studio banter ensues, and listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at media interviews, makeup magic, and the everyday chaos that keeps things interesting.
Station Spotlight: Captain Tim Smith at Station 226 Shawn heads to the bay at Station 226 for a wide-ranging conversation with Captain Tim Smith. Tim reflects on his career with the county and city fire departments, staffing changes, future apparatus updates, and his unique background that includes 17 years as a reserve sheriff’s deputy. He also shares insights on aviation, retirement, and advice for new cadets entering the fire service.
Community Shoutouts & Department News The episode wraps up with kudos to crews involved in a high-profile animal rescue, updates on media coverage, a nod to department history through archival photos, and a reminder of how busy the new year has already become.
“This Day in History” & Joke of the Day The crew closes things out with a wild historical moment—the Great Molasses Flood of 1919—followed by multilingual fun, questionable accents, and a classic dad joke to send everyone off smiling.
As always: stay safe, take care of each other, and thanks for listening. 🎙️
Links Mentioned in this Episode Episode 23 Show Notes video This Day in History - The Great Molasses Flood of 1919
More from San Bernardino County Fire: PIO Podcast
This episode marks a milestone, the show’s 40th installment, and it comes together in an unusual way. Part of the conversation was recorded back in June, and part was recorded this October, so the show jumps between the two recording sessions, almost like time travel in a movie, to bring five different segments into one episode. The show kicks off by digging into a box of old VHS tapes, including a mystery news clip from 2006 that has the studio trying to guess which current department member is on screen. The real news of the episode is the announcement of this year’s Salute to Service award winners. The crew walks through every category and announces this year's winners: Sustained Superior Performance Champions of Change Awards (Mentorship Excellence, Synergy Star, Rising Phoenix) Legacy Award Exceptional Service Award Annual Awards (Ambulance Operator of the Year, Fire District Employee of the Year, Firefighter of the Year) Fire Chief’s Distinguished Service Awards Medal of Valor Award Tech Corner covers two drones now in testing, one built to drop water on hot spots and another designed to fly hose packs up to firefighters on steep terrain, plus a new robot dog making its debut around headquarters. The episode wraps with surprise phone calls to a retiring 20 year veteran on his way out the door and a firefighter with a wild past life as a Dodger Stadium visiting clubhouse bat boy, along with groundbreaking news on Fire Station 227 and updates on several more stations in the pipeline.
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