The Fire Service in the Movies

An important part of history is how the populous is effected by the entertainment industry. In the King Richard the Lion-Hearted type era, stories and events of the time were often lamented through the musings of traveling artists and showmen. Today we have CNN and other news sources, TV, and Movies.

In the last I know of several TV shows regarding firefighting and EMS and also several movies (as many as I can think of are listed below).
TV:
LA Firefighters
Rescue Me
Paramedics
Third Watch (I know it turned more towards PD aspect towards the end)
Firehouse Boston
Emergency
Code Red

Movies:
Point of Origin
Backdraft
Ladder 49
Towering Inferno
Arson
Ablaze
Firestorm
Firehouse (recent addition) reported to have been from the 1960s or early 70s

There are several movies where the lead/title character is in the emergency services field and the movie is based in part on that:
Frequency
Daylight
Cliffhanger
Volcano

I’m sure there are a lot more I haven’t mentioned but I have listed the ones I see on my shelves that are related & ones I can think of, if I have skipped some please let me know. The point I am making is that history is influenced by the present. Your actions today and the movies made about us is the determining factor in how we are remembered and how the future historical events are viewed. If we allow ourselves to fall into a state of lawless actions or act as if we are unintelligible thugs, then that is how our profession will be viewed. If we are to advance the fire service another step towards the best possible then we must learn from our past and learn from the media, entertainment industry how we are perceived. After 9/11 the world, specifically the U.S., saw firemen as heroes and people to thank and love. The shine has worn off of that diamond. The guys in DC that went to the bar, the junior firemen setting fires, the assaults in fire houses, the thefts, and an endless number of incidents are leading to a downward spiral of the fire service. Please think about what you are doing and what it will look like if and when you see it on TV. Our future and past depend on a measure of decorum and self-control.