TheBattalion.tv offers a unique glimpse behind the scenes of fire departments

The Battalion, from Los Angeles-based Tule Fog Productions, is a Web-based series crafted to take viewers inside the vehicles, work days, living quarters and lives of emergency responders in a manner never shown before. The series features fast-paced filming of station life, responses, fire attacks, rescues and medical runs, cleverly blended with adrenaline-pumping music that draws you in like a magnet.

This series puts you in the front seat of emergency apparatus weaving through traffic and treating oblivious drivers to blasts of air horns and sirens as the crews attempt to reach the scene in an expedient but safe manner. Its unique filming style takes you on a no-holds-barred tour of the action-packed lives of emergency responders, showing off-duty personnel arriving on their motorcycles and gearing up for their shift. But the series offers much more, focusing on the fast and slow times, funny and sad calls and the close-knit working environment where crews spend as much time together as they do their with their own family.   

Presently available on www.JEMS.com, this series sets a new standard for multi-media programming. Executive Producer David Furtado conceived the series in 2003 and was granted exclusive access to film the men and women of the San Francisco Fire Department. His unique approach to cinematography allows providers and the public alike a true inside view of the daily emergency service lifestyle.

This series may be just the spark many agencies need to improve their recruitment efforts. Young viewers will not only enjoy the fast-paced approach offered by TheBattalion.tv series, they’ll also learn about the excitement and camaraderie offered by the fire service.

In just 22 weeks, the Tule Fog Productions team has developed 18 riveting, action-packed episodes, all of which are available for downloading or viewing on their Web site, www.thebattalion.tv. The stylized webisodes can even be downloaded to your iPod or phone for viewing during downtime from calls.

This fast-moving, entertaining and educational series is separated into two parts. The first, “24 Hours with the San Francisco Fire Department,” follows the men and women of the fire department as they respond to fires, accidents and medical assists. The series’ second part, “Women on the Watch,” focuses on female firefighters and their increasing presence in the heavily male-dominated field of firefighting.

A second season of the series is in the works and will be expanding to a city and fire department on the East Coast. For more information, or to view or download webisodes, visit www.thebattalion.tv.

A.J. Heightman, MPA, EMT-P, is editorial director of Elsevier Public Safety, which publishes FireRescue. He is also the editor-in-chief of JEMS