The show 911 airing on the FOX network has set out to tell the stories of first responders in Los Angeles. You see things from multiple perspectives as you jump around in each storyline. We get to sit in the dispatch area as calls come into the 911 call center. There is a team of firefighters that seem to be the first responders to many issues in LA. There is also a police woman that we get to ride along with.
One of the biggest issues for all of the characters seems to be endings. If someone is a completionist, these would not be jobs for them. When the operator gets emergency services to the caller, they hang up, when the person in trauma gets to the hospital they are dropped off and passed along, when the police officer apprehends the criminal the citizens rescued are dealing with someone else for follow up. There seems to be no closure for any of the first responders in any of their situations. I look forward to see if this becomes an issue for any of the characters.
One of the biggest pluses for this show is the mix of pace and drama. This is not a one episode one story kind of show. Just like an operator’s evening, an episode is filled with short little bursts of very intense drama getting you to the edge of your seat making you ask, how could that happen, and are they really going to be able to fix it like that?
My only issue is removing some of the realism for drama. In the pilot episode, a 9 year old girl calls 911 from a cell phone for assistance and there is a long drawn out scene to try and track where she is. Trouble with that is, 911 tracking is required by the FCC and is sent out as soon as you call (read about it here). I would think a show focusing on emergency services would be a bit more realistic with things like that.
There is also a bit of off the job drama going on for some of the characters. We see some personal issues for one of the firefighters and some family problems developing for our police woman. Honestly I don’t know if these are truly needed. I know they may be used to create tension but I like the idea more of individual episodes with the calls that need to be answered instead of a continuous storyline I need to worry about. Let me come and enjoy the drama of the actual 911 crisis without the characters personal baggage.