Podcasts about sffd

Join us for a heart-to-heart talk with Jeanine Nicholson, the first out LGBTQ chief of the San Francisco Fire Department, who retired in August. We'll hear about her pathbreaking career, her thoughts on the current political scene, and learn about breaking barriers while in the public eye. After our talk, stick around for a wine reception. Jeanine Nicholson retired in 2024 after 30 years in the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), five of which she spent as chief. She began her career in 1994 as a firefighter EMT and over the years became a firefighter paramedic, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief and deputy chief prior to her appointment as chief by Mayor London Breed in May 2019. Chief Nicholson was the first out LGBTQ Chief in SFFD history. Chief Nicholson led the department through the COVID pandemic and economic downturn. She established a safety, health and wellness office for her members, emphasized the importance of mental and physical wellbeing and expanded resources in the Behavioral Health Unit. She also led the department's campaign to remove PFAS from firefighter gear while a deputy chief and continued her advocacy while chief. She is a breast cancer survivor and spent time teaching cancer prevention across the country to the fire service. She oversaw the procurement of land and development of plans for a new SFFD training facility. She took on the autonomous vehicle companies that were operating in San Francisco without regulations or limitations and successfully advocated for public safety as a priority in their deployment. Under Chief Nicholson's leadership, community paramedicine expanded to meet the social and behavioral needs on the street. This programming became a model for agencies across the country, as an alternative to policing and emergency room overcrowding. During her tenure, she established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office. She emphasized equity in department processes and hired more than 640 new SFFD members. Nicholson established a program and partnership with community called City EMT for at-risk youth. The program includes an EMT class and wrap-around services and culminates with an opportunity to apply for a paid internship on an ambulance in the SFFD. The SFFD has offered approximately 25 percent of graduates a full time career. Those are a lot of accomplishments during her career. Come find out how and why she did it. See more Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.  This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fight over a ballot measure to help firefighters heats up in San Francisco. But there's a lot more to this one than meets the eye, affecting multiple layers of the City's always complicated politics. We are talking about Proposition H, on the November ballot, which would allow San Francisco firefighters to retire with their full pension at age 55 instead of 58. The firefighters' union says too many of them are developing cancer from decades of on-the-job exposure, and allowing them to retire three years sooner will reduce that risk and save lives. Sounds straightforward enough, and most voters will probably be sympathetic enough to a campaign featuring heroic firefighters getting cancer. But the city controller and Mayor London Breed say lowering the retirement age will cost the City many millions of dollars a year in additional pension costs, and that will balloon over time, and cash-strapped San Francisco just can't afford that. So the firefighters union is going all out on this one, dropping its past support of Mayor Breed, and launching a $1.2 million dollar local ad buy today, which we were able to report exclusively on KCBS.

Sam and Vito have the pleasure of sitting down with Retired Chief Tom Siragusa who retired as an Assistant Chief with San Francisco Fire Department in 2018. He was a CDF Firefighter, a Firefighter/Medic with San Rafael FD and joined the SFFD in 1982. A Firefighter, Chief's Aid, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief, and Deputy Chief, Tom shares reflections of decades of experience with Between Two Hydrants. 1:31:00 Retired Battalion Chief Dave George reads Tom's article "Just in for the day"

GETTIN' SALTY EXPERIENCE PODCAST Ep. 191Be sure and join us on our YouTube channel with our special guest 33 Year Veteran of the San Francisco F.D., Battalion Chief Anthony Smerdel. Hired by the SFFD in 1979, He was a member of the Heavy Rescue Squad 2 from 1985 - 2008, (As a Captain, Lieutenant, and Fireman). Was promoted to Battalion Chief in June 2008 and Retired in December 2012. He responded to the Marlow Hotel (where he became trapped and rescued), El Capetian Hotel Fire, 395 Capp St. Fire , and Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989. Since retiring, he is a Partner with Northern California Rescue Training (NCRT). A company with five other firemen to provide technical rescue training for fire departments, USAR teams, private industry, community colleges and the US Marine Corp. We will get the whole skinny... You don't want to miss this one. Join us at the kitchen table on the BEST FIREFIGHTER PODCAST ON THE INTERNET. You can also Listen to our podcast ...we are on all the players #lovethisjob #GiveBackMoreThanYouTake #OldschoolBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gettin-salty-experience-firefighter-podcast--4218265/support.

Have you ever wanted to know what being a firefighter is like? In this week's episode, we learn about the San Francisco Fire Department from two delightful, socially dedicated firefighters: Michie Wong and Shon Buford. A retired Fire Marshal, Michie took SFFD to a new level of security and sustainability. With keen expertise in code interpretation and intracity collaboration, Michie's work was a beacon for urban accessibility and safety. Shon Buford has a hand in social impact for SFFD as Assistant Deputy Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He's also the first African-American President of the Firefighter's Union and was the Captain of Engine 25, which happens to be where we had our interview! Learning from Michie and Shon was a joy. They love their work so much that we felt inspired to join the Fire Department ourselves. We hope you feel the same after tuning in this week. Meet Michie Wong and Shon Buford!

In Part 3, we meet Mini Bar's Operations Manager, Erin Kehoe. Erin is a sixth-generation San Franciscan. Her uncle researched family history, which was complicated by the fact that her grandma was orphaned. When you consider time in the state of California, her family history goes back here to when it was part of Mexico. Much like John, she was born at Kaiser on Geary. In fact, Erin says, John's mom could've delivered her and her twin sister. She comes from a lineage of twins, actually. Her mom was one of four sets of twins. Erin's dad was a firefighter with the SFFD, though the family lived down in South San Francisco when Erin was young. They did spend lots of time at her grandma's place in the Sunset, the same house her dad and his brothers grew up in and which the family sold only recently. Erin remembers trips into The City when she young to go to places like Ghirardelli Square, the Emporium, and I. Magnin department store. They went to some football games at Candlestick, but not so much Giants games. She says that she grew up somewhat sheltered until, as a teenager, she and her twin sister discovered goth and industrial music. She recalls stories of calling in to Live 105 for ticket giveaways and how her mom would drop her and sister off at places like Slim's. Around the time they turned 18, the sisters started going to clubs and places like the Trocadero. This got her into the SF nightlife scene, and she says she "never looked back." But her job at Mini Bar is her first bartending gig. Erin did work in the service industry for 20+ years, at joints like the Peppermill in Daly City, B44 and Café Bastille on Belden Lane, and then at both the original and the current location of Bar Crudo. That restaurant's 2009 move to Divisadero is how Erin started coming to Mini Bar. She met John quickly and right away, he wanted her to work at Mini Bar. Only problem was—she didn't bartend (yet). Fast-forward to 2021, when her friend Susan was bartending at Mini and asked Erin yet again to consider coming on, which she did. Four months later, they asked her to manage the bar. Erin takes her work seriously, and she thinks that she was someone Mini Bar could count on. She picked up the bartending side quickly, but didn't know where to start with curating art shows. And so, she went through archived Mini Bar emails and found people she recognized. From there, she put together a show, and then things started rolling. Erin soon met Anita Beshirs (curator of the current show at Mini Bar), and the two are good friends now. She says she's honored to be part of art and community. When the conversation shifts to our upcoming show, Hungry Ghosts, Erin mentions that she had wanted to branch out and try something different. Joining forces with a podcast feels for her like the beginning of something new at Mini Bar. We end Part 3 with a chat about the current show at the bar, which Erin says "is very SF."  "Around Town" features Jack Keating, Millie Kwong, Missstencil, Anne-Louise Petersson, and Danielle Bellantonio. "Anita crushed it," Erin says, congratulating her friend. We agree. We hope to see you all at Mini Bar on August 17 at 6 p.m. for the opening of Hungry Ghosts. Thanks for listening throughout our fifth season, and we'll see you soon!

In Part 3, we pick up where we left off in Part 2, with Mike's story of arriving at Bluxome Street early in the morning on Dec. 4, 2022. His San Francisco legacy business, Babylon Burning, was on fire. Mike recounts the SFFD firefighters taking care when breaking into the 63 Bluxome art gallery doors that led to Babylon Burning. It was Mike, his wife Judy, and his brother, Clam's, gallery, and it was special. Firefighters also saved finished orders that were just inside the doorway to the screenprinting shop. Some fire had trickled in, on the ceiling and in the back of the shop. But most of the damage came from water, as is the case in most fires. They saved as much as they could and got to work getting that stuff to storage. Rains were on the way. But their friends, Balboa Theater owner Adam Bergeron and his wife, told them it was time to go home and sleep. They took their friends' advice, but Judy was already at work looking for a new spot. They lucked out getting an insurance broker that Mike had an immediate connection with. Judy liked him, too. Meanwhile, the task of salvaging what there was to salvage and getting it into storage began in earnest. The heavy rains didn't stop them. The work was under way. Once they got the main business computer out and back to their coworker, Seth's, apartment, they could really get things going again. Friends with much smaller shops offered their spaces. They now credit their team, their friends, and the community with helping them keep the big ship going. They also got a lot of help from the folks at San Francisco's Legacy Business Program. Judy was working with the realtor and they began looking at spots around SoMA. They brought the broker to the old Babylon site so he could get an idea of who they were and what they were looking for. They ran through a checklist of things they needed—enough power, gas, walls that could be fashioned into a gallery. After only three weeks, they found 939 Howard Street. It seemed too big at first. And the landlord's construction crews stored equipment there, so it was hella cluttered. But they liked the front room and could already envision a gallery there. There was a strange middle area that intrigued them. And the back provided ample space for their new shop. Mike and Judy brought Seth to see the space, and it lifted him out of a funk he'd been in since the fire. They knew that they had to show some big-time love to everyone who got them out of the wilderness and into this new phase. In late-May, they threw a party with music, art, a taco truck, and filled with members of the community who love Babylon Burning. Jeff was there. It was magic. Now that they're operational, they're planning more events, including a July 29 benefit for The Stud collective, as that group continues the search for a new permanent home. Follow Babylon Burning to stay up to date. And please consider them for any screenprinting needs you might have. Also follow Gallery 939 for updates on art shows and other events. Photography by Jeff Hunt

When COVID hit, in March 2020, Babylon Burning kept working. In Part 2 of our episode on San Francisco's oldest screenprinting ship and their new location on Howard Street, we talk with owners Mike Lynch and Judy Tam-Lynch about the several years of hardship that lead to their new location. It started with the worldwide shutdown back in 2020. They were lucky enough to already have orders from essential businesses around The City. Two that Mike cites are Cheese Plus and Balboa Theater. Then they started to pick up schools around town. And then, the City and County of San Francisco. And so on, and so on. We rewind slightly to establish the COVID timeline for Babylon Burning: Love Letters to The City (our show), Jan. 11 thru Feb. 14, 2020 first citywide shutdown, initially for two weeks, March 17 stay-at-home orders extended through May, March 31 Around the time that PPP loans started to disburse, they had been coasting in low gear, doing just enough business to pay their employees and their landlord. Those loans saved them, just barely. Winter 2020 brought more shutdowns and hardship, but they weathered the storm. Vaccines started rolling out, and that provided another upswing. Toward the summer of 2021, they started doing outdoor shows and other events on Bluxome Street (Jeff went to one of these and they were awesome). These street parties made it feel like they had turned a corner. The new clients—essential, small SF businesses and schools—came back for more. Thanks to the boom in business, they were able to retain or replace their staff, some of whom have been with Babylon Burning for more than 15 years. And the printing veterans are able to teach the rookies. They were coasting along, recovering from the deepest impacts of the pandemic. And then, on December 4, 2022, a whole new tragedy struck. Early that morning, Bay Alarm called Mike. "You have an active fire at your shop. It's pretty bad." (Coincidentally, there had been a small arson fire outside the shop door about three months earlier, which prompted Mike and his crew to check up on their fire insurance.) Mike raced down 280. As he approached the Sixth Street off-ramp, he could see the fire. It was bad. Really bad. As he turned the corner onto Bluxome, the small street was lit up with flashing SFFD lights. He was brought to tears seeing it all. The fire had run through the upper levels of the building and its roof. The fire department used 500,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames. Mike ends Part 2 with a vivid description of firefighters' efforts atop ladders to put the fire out while also risking the entire roof's collapse. Check back next week for Part 3 and the conclusion of our episode on the new Babylon Burning. We recorded Part 2 of this episode at Babylon Burning on Howard Street in SOMA in June 2023. Photography by Jeff Hunt

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On Saturday, a tweet that contained a picture of an on-duty San Francisco firefighter wearing a "Let's Go Brandon" t-shirt began making rounds on Twitter — which has since prompted SFFD to take disciplinary actions against the City worker. The "Let's Go Brandon" chant — a rallying call that gained cultural prominence when a reporter interviewing the Sparks 300 race winner Brandon Brown at Talladega Superspeedway incorrectly described the chant in the background as "Let's Go Brandon" — has grown into a politically subversive slogan. The meme-able phrasing is now commonly synonymous with "F**k Joe Biden," though just a more family-friendly version of the profane sentiment. Recently, a San Francisco firefighter was photographed wearing a t-shirt with the slogan splayed across the top on the back.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Saturday, a tweet that contained a picture of an on-duty San Francisco firefighter wearing a "Let's Go Brandon" t-shirt began making rounds on Twitter — which has since prompted SFFD to take disciplinary actions against the City worker. The "Let's Go Brandon" chant — a rallying call that gained cultural prominence when a reporter interviewing the Sparks 300 race winner Brandon Brown at Talladega Superspeedway incorrectly described the chant in the background as "Let's Go Brandon" — has grown into a politically subversive slogan. The meme-able phrasing is now commonly synonymous with "F**k Joe Biden," though just a more family-friendly version of the profane sentiment. Recently, a San Francisco firefighter was photographed wearing a t-shirt with the slogan splayed across the top on the back.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You read that right, champions, an off duty firefighter was arrested recently in California after shooting someone over a dispute regarding puppies.Not Dalmations, that would be too obvious. As a quick aside, Dalmations were adopted as Firehouse dogs because they were mostly deaf, dumb as rocks and full of energy. They would run ahead of the horse drawn teams and clear the way when responding to an alarm. The horses left but the dogs stayed. Now, back to the shooting...According to KTVU Channel 2 News in San Francisco, Byron Pointer was arrested after shooting at a dog breeder after an exchange went sour. Can we take a moment to appreciate that there are hundreds of dogs in shelters near these folks and that they are a viable option? Thank you.That said, Mr Pointer had apparently expressed interest in purchasing 2 puppies for $5500 but as he arrived at the exchange he took the prominence papers and brandished a firearm. Later, after some confusing driving around between the 2, shots were fired and the breeder was hit twice.While your hosts agree that shooting people over dogs is stupid and that shelter dogs are just as amazing as your fancy pups, a tidbit missing in the story pertains to the off duty Firefighter's possible status: Probationary. While not confirmed, it is a good reminder that when you're on probation they can fire you if you sneeze wrong.This week we discuss:How media can bury the big stuff under a headlineWhy shooting at people on probation probably isn't the best use of your timeHow MC and HM found their dogsWhy you should never reveal your occupation when arrested, unless it is really coolSupport the show

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Former San Francisco police officer, Joel Aylworth, is one of thousands of U.S. law enforcement agents terminated due to their vaccine status. Hear how you can help his fight, alongside the United SF Freedom Alliance, with legal battles against these unjust layoffs in San Francisco.#SFFD #JoelAylworth #UnitedSFFreedomAlliance

The Ferrari Doctor, the Mayor of Potrero, the proud owner of Waterfront Automobili— Sal Garcia is a living landmark of San Francisco's rich local communities. His story is one of immigration— from El Salvador to SF's sunny Mission District, Garcia spent his formative years learning to master the English language and connecting with locals in his neighborhood. He graduated with Mission High with honors, and later USF with degrees in Business and Military Science. After a successful career as Lieutenant Colonel in the Medical Service Corp of the US Army, his love of Ferrari automobiles and all things mechanical inspired him to own and operate his own repair and restoration facility, Waterfront Automobili. Garcia's success there has earned him the nickname “the Ferrari Doctor,” both in the Bay Area and beyond. Since childhood, Garcia has had a passion for being a community man. Through his work at Waterfront Automobili and his involvement with SF communities like the SFPD, SFFD, legal specialists, builders, friends and family, Garcia has helped make San Francisco feel like a home to all. In fact, his presence in the city is so strong, his success over the years has grown purely from word of mouth! The friends and organizations that Garcia has grown up with all share a mutual respect for what they each give to their beautiful city of San Francisco. We therefore felt it fitting to include him in our community here at BTFR. Meet Sal Garcia!

Jim Argo's family has deep San Francisco roots. In this podcast, we get to know Jim, a born-and-raised San Francisco mortgage broker. His grandparents on his mom's side met in the Marina, each a member of an immigrant family from Italy. Jim's grandfather played saxophone and met his grandmother at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. His great-grandfather on his dad's side took his children and left his wife in Tennessee after learning of her affair. His paternal grandmother's parents were immigrants from Italy and Bulgaria. Jim's dad's dad was a railroad clerk, eventually working out of San Francisco. The family lived off of Waller Street in the Lower Fillmore area. Jim's mom grew up in the Outer Richmond (near where Jim lives today). Her dad was a grocer in the then-new neighborhood, and he did pretty well. His parents met when Jim's dad and a buddy, both students at Poly High, went on a double date with girls from a Catholic school in another part of town. His parents weren't paired with each other that night, but they met and the rest is history. It was the mid-1930s, well into the Depression but before the US's involvement in World War II. Jim's dad worked for SFFD as a firefighter. It was a stable job, and, coming out of the Depression, that was a big deal. The young, newly married couple rented a place not far from her parents in the Outer Richmond. They lived there with their three daughters. And then Jim, their only son, was born. This meant it was time to move. The family bought a house on 29th Avenue and Fulton, near Golden Gate Park. This is the house where Jim did most of his growing up. He went to Catholic schools and, eventually, around the time of the Jonestown Massacre and Milk/Moscone murders, SF State. (We'll get more into that in Part 2.) Early in his childhood, looking to his maternal grandfather and his own dad, both of whom played, Jim picked up the saxophone. Playing sax is something he does to this day. We end Part 1 with the story of how, at Sacred Heart high school, Jim ended up being the de-facto student director of the band. This was necessitated by the fact that many of the music teachers were professionals who played out a lot and might've had a hard time making it to school the next morning at 8 a.m. Check back Thursday for Part 2 and the conclusion of Jim Argo's life story. We recorded this podcast at San Francisco Elk's Lodge #3 in January 2022. Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

In this episode, we speak to Lt. Baxter of SFFD  we talk about his role as the only PIO,  the impact of community outreach, and public-Ed?   A  campaigns effort to raise awareness about water fatalities around the coastline.  A discussion over how agencies can connect with community-based groups.Bio of Jonathan Baxter: started his career in Public Safety at the age of 14 working as an explorer scout with the City of Paso  Robles Police Department. I attended EMT school at the age of 17, obtaining my EMT certificate just past my 18th birthday in 1989.  He was hired with the San Luis County Ambulance service part-time as well as the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department.  At 18, he was asked to participate in a trial paramedic program put on by the Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula, in the Carmel Valley,  obtaining his Paramedic license at the age of 19,  becoming the youngest paramedic in the State of California.From late 1990 to 1998 I was employed full time as a Firefighter Paramedic with the City of Sonoma Fire  Department. During this time, I earned my A.S degree in Fire Science, multiple fire science certificates, and an A.A degree in Criminal Justice.  Let it be known that also from 1990 to 2000, in addition to my full-time career, I also worked part-time as a Paramedic for AMR SF, Guerneville Fire, Bodega Bay Fire, Sonoma County EMS, and Occidental Fire.  Additionally, I also worked part-time as a Firefighter/EMT and Fire Investigator for the Glen Ellen Fire  Protection District from 1991-2010.  From 1998 to 2000, I worked full-time for the City of Hayward Fire Department as a Firefighter  Paramedic.  In January of 2000, I started my career with the San Francisco Fire Department. From 2000 to 2006 I  worked around the City as a Firefighter Paramedic, and Rescue Swimmer. From 2006 to 2016, I  volunteered to be assigned to Engine 1, which was at the time the busiest fire engine in America, per FireHouse Magazine. With over 500 public contacts per month, personal pride and integrity drove my fellow crewmembers and me to provide equal, and above standard service to every customer (citizen). From 2008 to 2016, I worked as a temporary lieutenant on fire suppression apparatus (Mostly Engine 1).  On January the 18th of 2016, I was hand-selected by Chief Joanne Hayes-White to become the SFFD's  Public Information Officer. While in that role, I was promoted to lieutenant in May of 2016 based on my rankings on a civil service test.  I remain employed as one of the highest decorated employees (47 Valor and Honors) with the City of  San Francisco.  In 2006, I left the City of Pleasanton part-time employment and started a career with the City of Menlo  Park Police Department (part-time). I have achieved Advanced Officer, Designated Rifle Officer, Critical  Incident Officer, Bike Officer, K9 Officer, Drug Recognition Officer, and DUI officer certificates.  In 2014 I obtained a B.S degree in Criminal Justice, along with multiple Certificates in Homeland Security and public saSales Bluebird for leaders and go-to-market teams at cyber security startupsTips, tricks, ideas and inspiration from legendary cyber security CEOs and CROsListen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stories and Strategies for Public RelationsCommunication is in every facet of our daily business.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Open The Great Highway Alliance is a nonprofit benefit corporation whose purpose is to educate the public about the safety of our streets, especially issues concerning the Great Highway. The GH has not had a death on it since 2005, and the last time the SFFD was called to a vehicular collision on it was in 2017. It is a safe, wide, divided highway with painted, lighted, paved crosswalks, without any cross traffic, with timed traffic lights so vehicles at 35 mph drive nonstop on its 2 miles emitting far less greenhouse gasses than stop-and-go traffic in gridlock by homes and small businesses. The highway must be free of pedestrians in its traffic lanes so emergency vehicles can drive in those lanes, unobstructed without delay, when they are responding to beach and ocean rescues, and driving through the neighborhood to get to emergencies and hospitals. Many people working in San Francisco live south of the Great Highway, and many who live here work south of here, and use the GH as the fastest easiest way to commute to work. It is a scenic drive and relieves traffic from traveling through the inner city. It was promised it would be temporarily closed to enable social distancing during the COVID pandemic, and would be restored to its original use after the danger passed. If any changes are to be made, they should be considered only after an Environmental Impact Report has been done, after the highway has been restored to its original pre-emergency state. A temporary pilot project is a way around CEQA and the California Coastal Act, and a loophole for the City of SF to avoid doing an Environmental Impact Report which would normally be required for the closing of a Coastal Road. What are they afraid of? The Sierra Club has urged them to do it and they should welcome the information it will provide.  openthegreat highway.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday, September 24th. Host Matt Pitman and KCBS reporter Kathy Novak recently spent a day with the San Francisco Fire Department's Critical Response Team. In part of SF, its the CRT - not the cops - who may arrive first to a 9-1-1 call where someone may be experiencing a mental health or drug abuse crisis. Can this care and compassion based program help further de-stigmatize issues surrounding mental health? Hosted by Matt Pitman. With KCBS reporter Kathy Novak.

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Members of San Francisco's Street Crisis Response Team show up to situations when someone is experiencing a mental health or substance-related crisis, as an alternative to police response, which can escalate such situations. Dr. Angelica Almeida with the Department of Public Health, Chief Simon Pang from the fire department, clinician Shari Lachin and peer counselor Miguel Levya talk about how the team engages with people in distress and why the work is so important to them even if there sometimes aren't enough resources to meet the need.

Cheers to 52 episodes... one full year of drinking and podcasting! Charlotte and Mandi (mostly) remember some excellent fun in San Francisco. Charlotte defies the laws of normal bodily functions. Mandi gets rescued from an ancient elevator by SFFD's finest (literally). Bay to Breakers makes a cameo. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/fhebadmormons/support

Be sure to visit OES News for more images and podcast information. In this episode of All Hazards, he’s THE public information officer for his fire department. No, not a small hamlet in rural California. San Francisco, California. Can you believe this legendary fire department has one person handling public information request, media relations, crisis communications, public affairs, education and more? He gets support from his department but that’s a lot of work and responsibility for one person. But he does it, and judging by those who know him, he does it well.  Lt. Jonathan Baxter will talk to us about how he’s able to be stretched so far and maintain a high standard of work and sanity! One secret I can share with you - he loves what he does.  Whether you’re a PIO or not, there’s a lot you can learn from this conversation, so grab your favorite hot or cold beverage and settle-in.  Baxter started his career in Public Safety at the age of 14 working as an explorer scout with the City of Paso Robles Police Department.  He attended EMT school at the age of 17, obtaining his EMT certificate just past my 18th birthday in 1989.  He was shortly thereafter hired with the San Luis County Ambulance service part time as well as the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department.   At the age 18, he was asked to participate in a trial paramedic program put on by the Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula, in the Carmel Valley.  He obtained his Paramedic license at the age of 19, becoming the youngest paramedic In the State of California at the time.   In early 1990 Baxter got hired as a full time Paramedic with Golden Empire Ambulance in Bakersfield California, and part time with Delano Wasco Ambulance service in the Inland Empire as a Paramedic.   From late 1990 to 1998 he was employed full time as a Firefighter Paramedic with the City of Sonoma Fire Department.   Let it be known that also from 1990 to 2000, in addition to his full-time career, he also worked part time as a Paramedic for AMR SF, Guerneville Fire, Bodega Bay Fire, Sonoma County EMS, and Occidental Fire.   Additionally, Baxter also worked part-time as a Firefighter/EMT and Fire Investigator for the Glen Ellen Fire Protection District from 1991-2010.   From 1998 to 2000, he worked full-time for the City of Hayward Fire Department as a Firefighter Paramedic.   In January of 2000, he started his career with the San Francisco Fire Department.  From 2000 to 2006 he worked around the City as a Firefighter Paramedic, and Rescue Swimmer. From 2006 to 2016, he volunteered to be assigned to Engine 1, which was at the time the busiest fire engine in America, per Fire House Magazine. With over 500 public contacts per month, personal pride and integrity drove he and his fellow crew members to provide equal, and above standard service to every customer (citizen).   From 2008 to 2016, he worked as a temporary lieutenant on fire suppression apparatus (Mostly Engine 1).   On January the 18th of 2016, he was hand-selected by Chief Joanne Hayes-White to become the SFFD’s Public Information Officer. While in that role, he was promoted to lieutenant in May of 2016 based off my rankings on a civil service test.   Links & Mentions Rebuilding Together San Francisco Rebuilding Together Sacramento Rebuilding Together  The Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative Citizen: Connect and Stay Safe FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI)  

SFFD replace 20 of 200 stolen trikes for Bay Area kids!

SFFD rescues a raccoon stuck in a tree!

Is it too early for holiday lights?DJ's are now playing music at COVID testing sites to entertain the people in line!Shelter To Solider is saving 2 lives at a time. "Jeopardy" producer describes Alex Trebek's final day.

To honor the memory of San Francisco Firefighter/Paramedic Jason Cortez, we've decided to pre-empt our usual show this week and "go dark" in his memory. Jason Cortez was a second-generation firefighter for SFFD that died in the line of duty on October 7th, 2020. The final report is still to be released, what we do know is he was knocked from the third floor of the training tower in what appears to be a tragic accident. For more information about Jason and how you can help the two sons that survive him, please go to http://wyeradio.com/cortez.

Fall is here! Betty White celebrates 70 years in TV!Polling places are being manned by younger people this year.SFFD rescue. Man invents a socially distanced candy chute for Halloween! Movie theaters in the Bay Area are reopening.

Lt. Jonathan Baxter, the Homeland Security Operations and Public Information Officer with the San Francisco Fire Department, details the firefight to contain the massive Pier 45 fire in the Fisherman’s Wharf area of the city – a firefight that also involved protecting the World War II-era SS Jeremiah O’Brien, which is docked at the pier.

Some 80% of calls the fire department responds to are medical emergencies. Emergency medical workers with the San Francisco Fire Department, with help from dispatchers, are implementing distancing where possible on calls, including by asking callers to meet first responders outside, said SFFD Public Information Officer Lt. Jonathan Baxter. First responders are also wearing protective equipment and taking extra decontamination measures.

San Francisco firefighters are still on duty, working shifts at the firehouse, responding to calls and conducting fire safety inspections. As part of an ongoing series of conversations with front-line workers, Civic spoke with local firefighter Adam Wood. He says that, among other things, firefighters are wearing protective equipment where possible, cleaning common areas and equipment three times a day and bracing for a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Lords: * JP recommends Esperpento. http://esperpentotapasrestaurant.com/ * Styger recommends Esperpento and Yamo. https://www.theinfatuation.com/san-francisco/reviews/yamo Topics: * 1:52 A brief history of JP using "Lords" as a comedy word, 2008-present, and why British people will probably never "get" this quasijoke. * 9:00 Emergency preparedness! * The SFFD neighborhood emergency response team: https://sf-fire.org/neighborhood-emergency-response-team-nert * 16:55 The apple with a launch date. https://story.californiasunday.com/cosmic-crisp-apple-launch * 23:15 Larry asks: "Are there horses" * Miniature horses as service animals: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=miniature+therapy+horse&ia=images&iax=images * 28:39 Being an amateur naturalist from another part of the country. * Sneakers: navigating San Francisco by sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuIheGaiFLM * "Watch Dogs 2: Touring San Francisco's Famous Landmarks" * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F9l19j4XY * 43:15 What makes some hotels scarier than others? * "It should be illegal for horror movies to advertise." https://twitter.com/okexactly/status/1185756975612727297?s=20 * "If you make that film as a bleak drama, then we’re making it for like, an audience of three. So what might be a deterrent to an audience in one genre suddenly becomes a virtue in another, and it just felt like a no-brainer to channel that through a horror-movie filter." https://www.vulture.com/2018/06/hereditarys-ari-aster-breaks-down-his-upsetting-film.html * Scratch and sniff feelie in Leather Goddesses of Phobos. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeatherGoddessesofPhobos Microtopics: * Hypothesizing about how much business your internet review gets a small business. * A restaurant in San Francisco somehow not going out of business. * Reassuring meme carriers that they are still good people. * Majestic yet ridiculous muscledudes. * Dreaming a GDC talk. * Taking the "lord" title seriously because you are probably ruled by literal lords. * Our sister podcast across the pond, Topic Senators. * Distinguishing lords from non-lords by their shoulder armor. * Preppers going from being a joke to an aspiration. * Realizing that literally none of your skills would help you in the apocalypse. * Drinking pee through a Life Straw and it still tasting like pee. * California-branded disasters. * Naming your produce via an Internet poll. * Produce having a launch date. * Lining up at Safeway for produce's midnight launch. * Eating berries exclusive to your region. * Believing horses still exist because you've seen them once. * Being almost sure horses aren't a hoax. * Inserting horses into the historical record. * Duckbilled platypi being obviously bullshit. * Every platypus having been secretly manufactured by the Tyrell Corporation. * LA and San Francisco merging because Philip K Dick didn't predict rising construction costs. * Finding out that miniature horses can be service animals. * Service ponies in the soup aisle. * Someone defacing an explanatory sign to make people believe that horses can be service animals. * Miniature ponies being grandfathered in. * Everyone choosing the mockingbird as their state bird. * Being annoyed that trees are the wrong trees. * Being young enough for them to just be trees I guess. * The sky being the wrong sky. * Seeing freeway exit signs for Jupiter. * The Golden Gate Bridge getting wrecked. * A story being grounded in geography. * Stepping out of the movie theater into the neighborhood the movie you saw was set in and feeling like you're still in the movie. * Everyone's effective hometown being San Francisco because that's where every movie is set. * Getting experience points for taking selfies. * The Coit Tower secretly being a giant hologram full of horses. * The arbitrariness of what makes a hotel scary. * The horror of a hotel room possibly having bedbugs. * Not being scared by a movie because you chose to watch it. * The cute robot doing all the murders. * The TV edit of Robocop somehow being even more traumatic. * Sneaking an art house movie into your horror movie. * No longer being affected by supernatural horror but being terrified of movies with car accidents. * The implicit social contract that horror movies shouldn't address the horror of real life. * The ethics of advertising horror movies. * The ad that places a horrible idea in your mind and promises closure/the antidote if you pay for the full movie. * Buying a tub of baked beans at the concession stand and feeling good for five minutes. * Refilling the essential oil cartridge for gunfire. * Not wanting to smell Bioshock, or most video games really.

Dino Medardo Rosso studied 16 languages and he speaks five or six, depending on the day. He moved to San Francisco about a decade ago, and got work as a bicycle tour guide and then, a high school teacher. In this podcast, Dino tells the story of how a restaurant owner approached him seeking to solve the problem of her kitchen staff not being able to communicate effectively with the front-of-house workers. This effectively spawned Dino's business—Lingo. Check back Thursday, when Dino will share how Lingo expanded to a point where he's working with grocery stores and even the SFFD to bridge the language gap between various groups of people. Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

 “You know what I wanted to do when I was in the business? I wanted to survive.”Ted Corporandy is our guest on Episode 2 of Refined By Fire. A thirty-six year veteran of the fire service, Chief Corporandy spent the majority of his career in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, fighting fire out of some of America’s busiest firehouses. Ted is the the co-founder of the visionary web magazine FireNuggets, the first of its kind for the fire service. Retiring from SFFD in 2006 as a Battalion Chief, Ted remains a highly influential figure in the fire service, both through his own direct contributions and through those who have been influenced by him.In this talk, we touch on Chief Corporandy’s experiences as a young wildland firefighter, navigating fire service traditions, the Gorter Nozzle, fighting fire in the Tenderloin, the importance of empathy, the value of social media for the 21st Century firefighter, and lots more. Chief Corporandy was extremely gracious to spend the time with us and we’re excited to the share it with you!Chief Corporandy's article on tradition:Tradition: The Good, the Bad, and the UglyBooks mentioned by Chief Corporandy:Fire Officer’s Handbook of TacticsBuilding Construction for the Fire ServiceRandom Thoughts

The city of san Francisco, some of said, is a work of art on its own, so what better way to learn, than to create art for the city. in 2016, in honor of 150 years of service to the city, the SFFD unveiled a new logo. That new logo and the branding revolving from the new logo was orchestrated by the Academy of Art University, the school of Graphic Design and the students, leaving the city with a proud fire department, a fire department with a fresh logo and the students with a start to an amazing resume.

Just as the SFFD is part of San Francisco, so is the Academy of Art University, and together, the two collaborate to celebrate 150 years in the city. With the ingenuity and the help of the school of graphic design,. Academy students were tasked with creating and presenting logos to the SFFD to be used by the fire department for the entire year of celebration.

The city of San Francisco, the San Francisco Fire Department and the Academy of Art University all team up to create a challenge for the school of graphic design: To create a new logo for the SFFD in celebration of its 150 year anniversary.

As the San Francisco Fire Department turns 150 years old, the SFFD collaborated with the Academy of Art University and the school of graphic design in order to create a new logo, as well as a website design. Real clients, real work and real artists working with the Academy to achieve a real life goal and to help celebrate 150 years in san Francisco.

The show starts off without much fuel. We have no Coco-host, no Squidge and no audience. Fire Captain Henry "Jim" Larkin shows up but too late to revive a dying introduction. A discussion of one of SK's recent tours results in a hazardous situation - a new song by Shantwon, "I stole the moment". The conversation appears to heat up with an email about the Pacific Ocean and its warm water Blob, however any expectation for stimulating debate is quickly snuffed out by a droning on about the new MUNI schedule and bus stops. The talk gets so dry we are ultimately required to keep a 30 foot defensible space between it and the bomb shelter. Just when it looks like we will all be asphyxiated by indifference (Mitch Albom's latest best seller), Babette enters and injects some much needed fresh air into the proceedings by regaling us with tales of her exploits in the old west as well as exposing SK's lack of funds when it came time to pop the question. SK's history lesson about the SFFD threatens to smother any spark of appeal that the podcast may have had when Jim attempts to rekindle interest with ghost stories and accounts of working out with Jim Jones in the '70s. Sufficed to say, this week, as with most around here, there was never any danger of the podcast catching fire - It's all suppressed with Pelligrino

I join Captain Niels Tangherlini of the San Francisco Fire Department for more insight into how the city is dealing with the demand placed on the SFFD by the frequent users of the EMS system. I get to meet their "Frequent Flyers"

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