Public Information & General Interest

February 3, 2015
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover talks about her office, recent high profile events and the relationship between PIO’s and the media

January 13, 2015
Healthcare financial consultant Lawrence R. Lievense, FHFMA, FACMPE provides updated “Affordable Health Care Act” information. Website

November 25, 2014
Internationally known author Kathleen Sharp talks about her recent Salon article, “Rager at the end of the world: How Halloween looks in the shadow of tragedy” and her two books: “Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood” and “Blood Medicine” and how the subject of Hollywood and prescription drug business may relate to Isla Vista and our community.Website

October 14, 2014
Former California State Fire Marshal and The National Fire Heritage Center President Ronny J. Coleman talks about the history of the American fire service. Website

September 2, 2014
National health care billing expert Lawrence R. Lievense returns to further talk about medical claims, payments, valuations and how you can better protect your interest when engaging the health care billing system and advocating for yourself. Website

August 19, 2014
Consumer Watchdog lead staff attorney Jerry Flanagan talks about the reality of the Affordable Health Care Act today. If you have health insurance, or think you have insurance, you need to listen to this show. Website

June 3, 2014
Dr. Daniel F. Craviotto, Jr. talks about his April 28th Wall Street Journal Opinion “A Doctor’s Declaration of Independence.” What you need to know about today’s healthcare. Website

May 20, 2014
Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Paige Batson, Dr. Thoman and Susan Klein-Rothschild talk about disease control and prevention.

May 13, 2014
Nationally known communications consultant Andy Seybold talks about past, present and future public-safety communications systems. Website

April 22, 2014
Pilot, speaker and author Captain Karen Kahn talks about aviation safety and how you can be prepared for an in-flight emergency. Website

April 15, 2014
National health care expert Lawrence R. Lievense talks about medical claims, payments, valuations and how you can better protect your interest when engaging the health care billing system. Website

February 18, 2014
Recently retired State Fire Marshal’s Office Division Chief Ben Ho talks about his extraordinary story of leaving Vietnam during the war to come to America with his brother to start a new life. As two of the “Boat People of Vietnam,” this is an extraordinary story of risk, hard work and perseverance coupled with the help and dedication of several remarkable people along the way.

February 2, 2014
Families of the Fallen founder Susan Van de Pol talks about the death of her husband, Los Angeles City Fire Department firefighter Bob Ortega and the founding of a national support group for firefighters. Website  and The Los Angeles Firefighter, Vol. 44, No. 5, September/October 2006

January 28, 2014
International Counterespionage Consultant Kevin D. Murray talks about cellphone security.Website

January 21, 2014
Internationally renowned piper Robert Heggie talks about the history of the bag pipe, its ceremonial use by police, fire and military organizations around the word and the Greatest Scot of All Time Robert Burns.

December 17, 2013
Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Deputy Director Massoud Abolhoda talks about the challenges of rebuilding following a wildfire or flooding. Website

December 10, 2013
Santa Barbara County Public Health officials talk about the growing problem of diabetes and local programs designed to help reduce this serious medical condition. Website

December 3, 2013
Former City of Tracy Finance Officer and past President of California Society of Municipal Finance Officers Zane Johnson talks about his survey “Top Ten Ways Cities Waste Money.” Website

November 26, 2013
Santa Barbara County Fire Captain Craig Vanderzwaag talks about the development of an “app” for monitoring fire dispatch and it’s use by responding firefighters. Website

November 19, 2013
Interact Business Group CEO Bill Booth talks about the business of public-safety training and the future of training. Website

October 22, 2013
Dr. Glenn Miller returns to talk about Normalcy Bias and why people fail to react as they should in an emergency.

August 20, 2013
Multi-agency program “One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire” is discussed with members of the US Forest Service. Website

October 8, 2013
California Firesafe Board Member Jerry Davies talks about the current trends in the insurance world and how it impacts home owners.

December 18, 2012
Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health Dr. Polly Baldwin and Susan Klein-Rothschild talk about diabetes and its impact on public health.

October 30, 2012
Dr. Glenn Miller returns to talk about the denial of death and related topics and the relationship with the Emergency Medical System.

September 25, 2012
Former California State Fire Marshal Ronny J. Coleman talks about the National Fire Heritage Center from the annual California State Firefighters’ Association annual conference in Anaheim. Website

July 10, 2012
Santa Barbara County Public Health Dr. Wadda and PIO Susan Rothschild-Kline talk about the impacts of the Affordable Health Care Plan.

June 26, 2012
Public Education and Information Officer for the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Department Timothy R. Szymanski talks about his recent article Why Every Department Needs A Public Information Policy. Website

June 5, 2012
Santa Barbara County Fire Department PIO Captain David Sadecki and retired PIO Charlie Johnson talk about the anniversary of the Gaviota fire and the improvements in public information because of the fire.

March 20, 2012
Dr. Glen Miller (Healthy Mind – Healthy Future) talks about suicide prevention.

December 20, 2011
Actress Millena Gay and Mrs. Ethnic World International Daisi Pollard Sepulveda talk about self improvement and getting involved in the community as a volunteer. Website Website

August 2, 2011
Santa Barbara County Health Department Director Dr. Wada and Susan Rothschild join the show talk about various public health issues including accidental overdose of over the counter medications. Website

April 19, 2011
CSFA Steamer Team Barbara and Dave Hubert talk about the steamer program, cartooning and the California Fire Museum. CSFA website California Fire Museum website

June 8, 2010
Craig D. Allen, CFA, CFP, CIMA joins Community Alert to talk about the current status of the economy and what it means to you, your family, the company you work for and government. Website.

May 18, 2010
Author and researcher David Nabhan talks about his new book on earthquake predictors “Forecasting the Catastrophe: An Analysis of When and Where the Next Earthquake on the West Coast Will Strike.” Website

April 20, 2010
Abociacio de Bomberos del Estado de Baja California, Inc., Training Officer Marcos Olmosjoins Community Alert to talk about the recent earthquake and how continued training in California has helped withtheircurrent efforts and recovery. This is a follow-up show to last weeks interview with El Centro Chief Steve Wilson.

April 13, 2010
El Centro Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Wilson talks about the recent 7.2 earthquake and the damage caused. Website

March 16, 2010
Retired State Fire Marshal Kate Dargan talks about Wildland Interface Issues and the Community Wildland Prevention Program.

January 19, 2010
Author James Howard Kunstler talks about his book “The Long Emergency.” Website

July 14, 2009
Don Katich, Director of News Operations-SB News Press talks about local media issues during emergencies.

Additional interviews:

Christmas Major” (December 2013). An interview with Dave and Barbara Hubert about their book “Christmas Major The Fire Horse That Saved Christmas.”

Voices of Santa Barbara” (Nov. 14, 2012) visits with Red Cross volunteer Judy Dobbins who served two weeks in an evacuation shelter in Tom’s River New Jersey here.

Special Podcast for California State Firefighters’ Associaiton Employer – Employee Seminar

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Community Alert airs on Tuesday, 11 AM and 9 PM, repeating on Saturday at 1 PM on KZSB-AM 1290 and on www.newspress.com. Click on the dates below to hear the show for that day.

Funding provided by a grant from the Cooperative Fire Program of the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Pacific Southwest Region, through the California Fire Safe Council (11USFS-0172 and 14USFS-SFA0010) with additional funding from the Fire Services Training Institute.

Community Alert is produced by the Wildland Residents Association, Inc., San Marcos Pass Volunteer Fire Department (WRA). Any use of these links is for personal use only. Commercial use of these programs or content is prohibited without prior written permission from the WRA. Written permission email [email protected].

The views and conclusions contained in these programs are those of the hosts and guests and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the California Fire Safe Council, the U.S. Forest Service, FSTI or KZSB AM-1290. Any mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement by the California Fire Safe Council, the U.S. Government, FSTI or the WRA.

February 3, 2015 Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover talks about her office, recent high profile events and the relationship between PIO’s and the media January 13, 2015 Healthcare financial consultant Lawrence R. Lievense, FHFMA, FACMPE provides updated “Affordable Health Care Act” information. Website November 25, 2014 Internationally known author Kathleen […]

About the Author

Michael S. Williams

Michael S. Williams

Founder the Fire Services Training Institute

Williams founded the Fire Services Training Institute in 1995 to find solutions to the challenges confronting the volunteer fire service. He has been an active member of California State Firefighters Association (CSFA) since 1994, having served on the volunteer and public relations committees, and as a southern division deputy director. He sits on several local organizations including the Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council, the Tri-Counties Training Officers Association, Santa Barbara Chapter of CAER and is a founding member of the Santa Barbara PIO group Emergency Public Information Communicators (EPIC). He has been the author of many articles and a columnist for a local newspaper on public safety matters. He is also the co-host of Community Alert on KZSB AM-1290 in Santa Barbara. Williams has been a member of the California State Board of Fire Services since 2008. Prior to becoming involved in the volunteer fire service, Williams was a California police officer for 12 ½ years and a POST certified Field Training Officer. He is a licensed private investigator and security consultant specializing in self-insured, government and insurance defense assignments.

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