Danbury FD Answers Call of 'Emergency!'

DANBURY, CT —Long before seven seasons of "Rescue Me" turned comedian Denis Leary into a firefighting TV star, many Americans received their first glimpses into the work of firefighters and paramedics on the 1970s TV favorite, "Emergency!" The show has been credited with jump-starting interest in the EMS profession among both young people and state and local governments.

One of those so inspired showed up in Danbury over the weekend, and brought along his own firetruck — a DIY replica of Squad 51 fire and medical vehicle made famous over 40 years ago on the NBC drama.

No Danbury residents were more enthused about it than the Fire Department, who wrote on Facebook:

"For many of us (the older guys) the TV show 'Emergency!' was the impetus for launching our fire service career. So if you want to honor that show, AND the firefighters who developed from it, what do you do? You build a replica of Squad 51, and that's just what Chief Ron Morin of Maine did."

Chief Ron Morin is a former paramedic with Sugarloaf Ambulance & Rescue in of Wilton, Maine. He much later went on to serve as chair of the state of Maine's Committee for Ambulance Design Criteria, and on the Maine EMS Board. He was founder of the Maine EMS Honor/Color Guard, and the Chief of the Carrabassett Valley, Maine, Fire Department for 17 years. Now, he travels the country in his DIY Squad 51 and "gives back," according to his website, "by making the younger generation understand where us Dinosaurs of EMS came from."

It's not always smooth sledding for the driver of a custom-built replica of a beloved TV classic, however. As the Danbury FD explained in social media:

"The downside is, you cannot stop anywhere without a photo op with local firefighters. Luckily for us, Ron and the Squad stayed in Danbury last night and it was our turn for the photo op. Also thank you to Greenwich FD LT Steven Cacase for the heads up!"