"Emergency!" ABOUT THE PRODUCTION "To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation; it's a measly manner of existence." These are the feelings expressed by a character in Arthur Miller's mult-award winning play, "Death of a Salesman."
Fortunately, members of paramedics emergency rescue teams don't feel this way, for they know that they are members of an exciting, rewarding, although sometimes dangerous, profession. Their way of life constitutes the main strength of Universal Television's hour-long series "Emergency!".
Not only has "Emergency!" proven successful and popular television viewing, it's graphic illustration of society's need for trained paramedics, has in the words of Senator Alan Cranston "...alerted the public to the value of paramedic for better emergency care." In September, 1972, the Senator wrote to Jack Webb, who produced the series to say... "We unanimously passed a bill that, among other things would promote the training of paramedics to staff ambulances and emergency rooms in hospitals across the country. I introduced the provisions in the bill dealing with paramedics and emergency medical services in hopes that our nation will make greater use of the thousands of experienced, able young men who have returned from Vietnam with the medical skills America needs so desperately. They are to get top priority in the training programs. Jack, your "EMERGENCY!" series fired the public imagination and was the harbinger for a medical idea whose time, I believe, has come. In the midst of a severe shortage of doctors, nurses and trained emergency personnel, 175,000 die each year because they do not get adequate medical care in an emergency. Another 25,000 are left permanently disabled because of inept handling by untrained ambulance attendants. "EMERGENCY!" has dramatized the potential of the paramedic. I hope the House of Representatives and the President will now follow the lead of 100 Senators -- and Jack Webb! Thank you for the good work, Jack. And congratulations to you and all the people connected with "EMERGENCY!"
The background of "Emergency!" as a television series is the true story of a project that began in Los Angeles in 1969, the year that launched a specially trained team of highly skilled firemen-paramedics to operate rescue squads for the L.A. County Fire Department.
Although many fire departments traditionally have provided rescue service to aid the injured, sick and dying, it was obvious to many civic officials and medical personnel that too many patients were being lost before they could receive trained medical aid at the hospital. The initial program to alleviate this waste of life was inaugurated, funded by the federal and county governments.
In pairs, the firefighters went with doctors on their daily hospital rounds, checking vital signs, taking blood pressure readings, interpreting electrocardiograms. They performed as "student medical assistants".
Afternoons were spent in the classrooms, where the firemen and a score of registered nurses qualified to become Cardiac Care Unit Specialist. Three short months later, the firemen were in the fields, able to put their newly acquired knowledge to use with the aid of sophisticated, and expensive, mobile equipment which was added to the conventional rescue squad trucks.
For the first year, a nurse accompanied the paramedics on all calls because there was no legal authority for the firemen to perform the advanced techniques they had learned. Then, the Wedworth-Townsend Act was passed by the California State Legislature and the paramedic program was off the ground.
Jack Webb has been blazing new trails in dramatic programs for more than 20 years. He filmed "Emergency!" with the full cooperation and assistance of the Los Angeles County Fire Department as well as the County Department of Hospitals. Adding a decidedly realistic touch, authentic fire-fighting equipment has been loaned to the production company. Should any of it be needed in an actual crisis, a "hot line" links fire department headquarters to the sound stage. One ring on that instrument, appropriately painted fire engine red, and film production becomes secondary to the needs of the community.
Now for the Puzzle:
To find the coordinates you must find the answers to the following questions. I was able to get them all with a little bit of searching on the web.
ABC = The actual firestation number used as the model for the series
DE = The number of the "Squad" (Paramedic response vehicle) in the TV Show
FGH = This one takes a little work:
Johnny's badge number
- Roy's badge number
+ Last two digits of the year when the show premiered
+ 20
IJ = The last two digits of the year when the final show (NOT movie specials) aired.
The cache is in a 1 liter jug.
Coords are: N42 AB.CDE W071 FG.HIJ
You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.
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