2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC.In addition to being one of TV’s most genius creators and producers, Dick Wolf, who has brought us beloved dramas like Chicago Fire, Law & Order and FBI, also has a good knack for timing.
Long before the writers strike, he was working on the unscripted series LA Fire & Rescue (debuting Wednesday, June 21, at 8pm ET/PT) on NBC, and available next day on the streaming service Peacock), where he gives viewers unprecedented access into the inner workings of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The series takes viewers into firehouses across Los Angeles to see firsthand the emotion, camaraderie and adrenaline-fueled day-to-day emergencies these heroes face. Five TV crews worked 24/7 — many times on standby since they didn’t know when and where the 911 calls were going to be coming from — to capture the action and meet the real heroes who are tasked with protecting the lives and property of 4 million residents across 2,300 square miles.
“LA Fire & Rescue is 100% real. There are no second takes — no scripting scenes,” tells Rasha Drachkovitch, an executive producer on the show. “Viewers will get a front-row seat in seeing the high-stakes world of being a firefighter. Someone’s worst day is met by a firefighter’s best day — saving lives. I’ve produced a number of series in the first-responders space — it’s incredible to see the courage these real-life heroes display on a daily basis. What makes LA Fire & Rescue different is the huge scope of the production; we’re covering one of the largest fire departments in the world. And yet with all the high-tech equipment, aviation and volume of calls, it comes down to the human stories; how a firefighter has literally seconds to enter a burning building, at great personal risk, to save a family. It’s so inspiring to be able to tell their stories.”
Station 16 (Watts), which is nicknamed “The Fire Factory” due to the high volume of fire calls, follows longtime Capt. Dan Olivas, who is a father figure to his squad and his own son Jeff Olivas, a rookie at LACoFD, who has hopes of following in his father’s footsteps.
“Seeing tearful Dan at his son’s graduation ceremony — passing on the family tradition between father and son where they both get hoisted on the shoulders of fellow firefighters in celebration — is one of the most impactful moments in the series,” Drachkovitch shares. “A couple of memorable stories involve Station 8 (West Hollywood) in Episode 1, as firefighters perform CPR on a man in cardiac arrest in hopes of bringing him back to life. Also Erin Scuoler, known as a ‘boot’ (rookie), who works at one of the busiest stations in the county — Station 41 (Compton). You get to see her journey to becoming a firefighter and see her lifelong dream of fighting her first fire.”
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