Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Series celebrates first responders, shows scary situations.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
LA Fire & Rescue
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
LA FIRE & RESCUE is a docuseries that follows real-life crews responding to emergency calls across the largest county in the United States. From the diverse Station 172 in Inglewood to Compton's Station 41, which runs the most calls in the county, cameras follow as firefighters, engineers, and paramedics as they rush to put out fires and prevent loss of life. Viewers also get to watch the county's Lifeguard Division and Air Operations in action. Interviews with station captains and select crew members offer insights into what inspires them, and how they handle challenges along the way. Rookie training and lighthearted behind-the-scenes moments in station houses are also featured.
Is It Any Good?
The unscripted series, produced by Law & Order's Dick Wolf, is a voyeuristic look at how seven crews respond to emergency calls across the population-dense and geographically diverse Los Angeles area. From a storage RV that's broken into and torched, to a person who's found unconscious on a sidewalk, each episode follows different squads as they respond to a range of calls in their districts while coordinating with city law enforcement and other agencies to prevent loss of life. Adding to the drama are some of the featured first responders' personal stories, and their constant reminders about how much they love their jobs and how dangerous it can be. These comments, in addition to crew members constantly thanking each other for doing a good job throughout each episode, get old pretty quickly. Furthermore, the series would do just as well without them, given that the impressive, Hollywood-like camerawork captures the true intensity and dangers associated with their work. But despite the fact that LA Fire & Rescue isn't the most original (or humble) of series, it's still a positive depiction of the courage, skill, calm, and focus needed to be a member of this life-saving rescue system.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the kind of skill and training that members of fire and rescue teams need to do their jobs well. Why are things like good communication, listening to commands, and staying calm all important parts of the job?
Why doesn't LA Fire & Rescue offer followups on the people they help? Would the series be better if they did?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 21, 2023
- Cast : Siene Freeman , Tony Huynh , Jeff Olivas
- Network : NBC
- Genre : Reality TV
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : June 26, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
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