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.