CAL FIRE BDU Promotes Two New Battalion Chiefs

Shawn Newman has been promoted to the Chino Institute for Women/Battalion 5 position and Chris Hardy has been promoted to the Owens Valley Relief Battalion Chief position.

Chief Newman began his career with CAL FIRE in 1990 at the Owens Valley Station in the Inyo-Mono-San Bernardino Unit and spent time at Yucaipa, Hesperia, San Antonio and Lucerne Valley Fire Stations. In 1994, Shawn was promoted to Firefighter II in the Riverside Unit where he worked at Rubidoux and Glen Avon for seven Years. Shawn then was selected to work at the Beaumont Forest Fire Station as an LT Engineer before taking a permanent position at the Highgrove Fire Station. He also served assignments at the French Valley and Woodcrest Fire Stations before promoting to Fire Captain at the Norco Conservation Camp.

During his five years at Norco Camp he was assigned to lead the Norco Training Center which is responsible for coordination, syllabus writing and instruction in all aspects of fire control. Shawn transferred to the Bautista Conservation Camp in March of 2011 where he has been working up until accepting this promotion to Limited Term Battalion Chief in the Inyo-Mono-San Bernardino Unit at the CIW Training Center located in Chino. His new position oversees the crucial training and course administration for the female inmate firefighter conservation camp program in California.

Chief Chris Hardy started his career in 1992 as a Volunteer Firefighter in Riverside County. During this time Chris attended San Diego State University where in 1997 he earned a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science. In the summer of 1998 he accepted a seasonal firefighter position with the San Bernardino National Forest on the San Jacinto Ranger District. From 1998 to 2007 he remained on the San Jacinto District working at the Kenworthy, Cabazon, Cranston and Anza stations, during which time he promoted to the rank of Captain.

In 2007 Chris accepted a position as an Limited Term Firefighter II at the Winchester Station in Riverside County where he received his Hazmat Technician certification and worked on both the engine company and Hazmat 34 unit. In 2008 Chris came to the Inyo-Mono-San Bernardino Unit as an open list Fire Captain and was appointed to a position at the Prado Conservation Camp. For the past two years he has worked as the relief Captain on Helicopter 305 out of Prado Helitack Base.