Hazardous materials are everywhere. Some dangers are obvious. Others can't be seen at all.

Hazmat Resolved follows Hazardous Materials Specialist III Peter Saavedra as he responds to the unseen hazards most people never think about. From unknown chemicals and illegal dumping sites to toxic environments, Peter's job is built around science, patience, and methodically solving problems when the risks aren't always clear.

For Peter, the goal is simple: protect the people going into those environments and make sure everyone gets home safe. Sometimes that means responding to an immediate threat. Other times, it means reducing a danger the public may never know was there.

Featuring: Peter Saavedra, Hazardous Materials Specialist III
San Bernardino County Fire Protection District

SEBA represents approximately six dozen Specialized Fire Services members across 26 different classifications in the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. They all perform critical work that often happens outside the public eye. A SEBA short documentary directed and edited by Christopher Lee.

A Note on the Film

HAZMAT RESOLVED is about work most of us never see, and the people doing it usually aren’t looking for attention. Spending time with Hazardous Materials Specialist III Peter Saavedra and his team offered a rare look behind the scenes at how they identify, prevent and respond to threats most of us would never know were there.

After finishing the film, SEBA Media Production Manager Chris Lee shared a few thoughts about the experience and why this particular story became personal:

“With each film, I’ve always felt there’s a chance to learn something. You learn about yourself through the creative and technical process, but more importantly, you learn about what makes other people tick. What makes them interesting. What makes them unique. We all are in our own way.

I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of the short form. Finding one small piece of someone’s story and trying to tell it in a way that might inspire someone or show them something they didn’t know before.

Working with Peter and his team over the last few months, I got to see so much that happens behind the scenes, things most of us probably take for granted. Especially the hidden dangers.

We hear the big headlines on the news or see them scattered across social media, and usually it’s when things go really bad. That’s the sexy stuff. That’s what gets clicks. But what often gets overlooked are all the things that never happened because of the work of one person, or a group of people, who prevented them from happening.

In this case, the subject was hazardous materials.

Peter is a big advocate for education and making sure a potentially deadly threat is avoided in the first place. But when the proverbial waste does hit the fan, he and his team are ready to deal with it.

Hazardous materials are everywhere, and I’m thankful we have Peter and his team in our county dealing with these hidden threats. From toxic acids that can burn through your skin to the bone, to train derailments and everything in between, they’re prepared for it.

And they’re such a humble group. They do their work behind the scenes, which made it extra special for me to shine a small light on what they do.

On a personal level, this film meant a little more to me because I actually went to school with Peter, way back in the day. And Peter is exactly the same stand-up, humble guy he was back then. He was the guy who got along with everybody, was kind to everybody, and just had this positive spirit that was contagious.

Some things haven’t changed.

I hope you enjoy this film as much as I enjoyed making it.”