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‘9-1-1’: Why the Los Angeles Fire Department Contacted Show Right After Season 1 Started

The groundbreaking TV drama “9-1-1” has been entertaining audiences since 2018. The unique show follows the actions taken by first responders, with perspectives ranging from police and firefighters to the 911 operators working at emergency call centers. As it happens, when the Los Angeles Fire Department caught wind of the show, they reached out to its producers to make sure they were getting the details right.

Consultants for procedural TV shows are nothing new. Any series claiming to base its narrative in reality wants to depict the true-to-life stuff accurately. We’ve seen this with police dramas such as “Blue Bloods” and the “Law & Order” franchise. Representatives from both shows have talked about how invaluable their consultants have been.

The genre sort of demands accuracy. What’s the point of depicting the work done by first responders if it’s not based in reality? After all, the heroism those folks display daily is unbelievable enough, to begin with. It’s good then that the Los Angeles Fire Department took the initiative and made sure “9-1-1” had all the information it needed.

In an interview with Assignment X, “9-1-1” co-creator, Tim Minear, talked about how he got a call from the Fire Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department soon after the series began.

“We were actually contacted by the L.A.F.D. chief after the show started airing last year, and they asked to meet with us, and we did. Representatives from the show and from the studio met with them, and they have hooked us up with amazing consultants. They are there for any questions that we have. They really want to make sure that we get it right,” Minear said ahead of “9-1-1” Season 2

The Producers ‘Revere’ First Responders

As much as the fire department wants “9-1-1” to get everything right, so too does the show itself. Of course, the purpose of the show is entertainment.

But at the end of the day, showing audiences the true nature of these first response jobs is a win-win for everyone.

“We want to make sure that we get it right, and so there’s actually a lot of interaction between the L.A.F.D. and our show now, which has just made everything better. We revere those people, and we just want to do right by them,” Minear continued.

‘9-1-1’ Season 5 Premiere is Right Around the Corner

It’s hard to believe “9-1-1” is already gearing up for its fifth season. But on September 20, fans can expect to pick up right where they left off. In fact, Tim Minear spoke to The Wrap following the Season 4 finale. He talked about how the show left off with Jennifer Love Hewitt’s character Maddie Kendall suffering from postpartum depression.

Apparently, it’s going to play a major role in Season 5.

“We’re going to try address it in such a way that it’s going to complicate the show going forward at the beginning of Season 5. It’s not just going to go away, let’s put it that way,” Minear said.