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Airdate: Fire 000 / Search and Rescue

As previously reported, Nine’s two new observational series will premiere Wednesday May 7.

Fire 000 is put together by Craig Graham, who created Border Security for Seven. He was also Exec Producer on RPA.

As with shows already joining forces with police, lifesaving, customs, animal welfare, hospitals, air force and other bureaucracies, it is another example of win / win storytelling. A network generates compelling drama while a government department puts a positive spin on its local heroes (Sea Patrol even achieves this with narrative drama). But clearly the audience is lapping it up.

Fire 000 joins with the NSW Fire Brigades while Search and Rescue utilises the Victoria Police Search and Rescue Squad, Water Police, and Air Wing.

Graham also produced the short-lived The Code: Crime and Justice for Nine last year, a series that should have had a longer life for Nine.

Press Release:

Two of Australia’s latest observational reality series, Fire 000 and Search and Rescue, action-driven and first-hand accounts of those who risk their lives to save and protect others in the line of duty, will premiere on Channel Nine from 7.30pm on Wednesday, May 7.

Fire 000 is not a drama. It is real life at its unpredictable best. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the officers and operations of the New South Wales Fire Brigades, the series is about the specially trained men and women who are ready to put their lives on the line every time a 000 call comes in. They are true Australian heroes, and for them, a commitment to helping those in need is just part of the job.

Delivering actual stories of hope, drama and jeopardy, Fire 000 gives viewers a fascinating insight into what really goes on when our firies are called out to house and building fire emergencies, car crashes, family emergencies, natural disasters, pet rescues and bomb threats. We also follow the specialised fire investigation and hazardous material units as they join the fight to save lives and property.

As well as taking viewers closer to the hazards of fire fighting than ever before, Fire 000 embodies the values of Australian mateship at its finest, and through the series, viewers will get to know the men and women behind the uniform, in lighter moments back at the fire stations.

The other new series, Search and Rescue, follows the operations of the Victoria Police Search and Rescue Squad, Water Police, and Air Wing, three specialist units that spring into action when someone is lost, injured or stranded.

Victoria Police has also granted Search and Rescue unprecedented access to rescue operations from the moment a call comes in to the Rescue Co-ordination Centre until the task is completed. Nine’s cameras go with the decision-makers as they assign various duties, then follow the dramatic and emotionally charged rescues.

The central characters are the police officers who bravely carry out their job and explain to viewers what they are doing, why, and how they are feeling as the situation unfolds. The series also features families of the lost, injured or stranded, as well as those who raise the alarm when trouble strikes.

Search and Rescue will give viewers insight into the full scope of work the three specialist squads undertake, from bush, mountain, cliff, snow, and water search and rescues to drug searches, investigating diving fatalities, and retrieving cars, evidence or bodies from rivers and lakes.

The Water Police alone receive more than 700 calls a year relating to overdue vessels, flare sightings, broken-down boats, missing divers, injured crew members and distress calls. The police Search and Rescue squad are on call 24 hours a day for any situation and the Air Wing provide invaluable strategic support in any emergency.

“Fire 000 and Search and Rescue are both gripping series, providing viewers with a mix of real-life stories of drama, action, emotion and fascinating operational procedure,” John McAvoy, the Nine Network Head of Factual Programming, said. “They are also full of great characters, offering a unique insight into a very brave group of people – those who risk their lives to save others.”

Fire 000 is produced by the Nine Network with the co-operation of the New South Wales Fire Brigades, under the creative leadership of Executive Producer, Craig Graham.

Search and Rescue is produced by the Nine Network with the co-operation of the Victorian Police, under the creative leadership of Executive Producer, Debbie Byrne.

A night of courage and bravery:

FIRE 000 on Wednesday, May 7 at 7.30pm followed by SEARCH AND RESCUE at 8.00pm.

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