Emergency! The Complete Fifth Season

There were a few episodes of Season Five that REALLY took me back. The days before paramedic engine companies, the days before EMT training was required for state firefighter certification, days before automated defibrilators were common practice, and of course the days before the cell phone. If you came on the scene after 1990, please watch in particular these episodes:

1) The Stewardess - This was made in 1975, before airplanes had an AED on board (my old department got their first AED in 1991). Roy and Johnny are returning to Los Angeles from Sacramento, and a man had a heart attack on the plane. Roy and Johnny spend 30 minutes with this patient until landing and then on to Rampart (they are allowed to retrieve gear from the cargo hold). Today, airliners have an AED on board (and better packed first aid kits).

2) Equipment - This was made in 1976, before the advent of paramedic engine companies. Paramedic Gage is overtiming as a firefighter at Station 8 (normal for a big city department) when he and Captain Stone (who had been a paramedic) are treating a construction worker who had a heart attack and have to wait 25 minutes for cardiac drugs and a defibrillator because the only available squad was across town. Gage and Stone did their best with their brains and the equipment they had (as well as CPR), but the patient passed away. Had that happened today, Stone and Gage would of had the right equipment much earlier. REALLY makes you think - it hits home for a firefighter and an EMT or paramedic. I don't think any EMT or paramedic forgets the first patient they lost (I haven't - he was a 48 y/o male who died of a heart attack).

3) There are a few episodes in the Season 5 set where Johnny and Roy are dispatched to meet the Coast Guard. Today, the Coast Guard has their own EMT's and Paramedics.

4) The Frequency episode in Season 3 was also a good one, and there was one episode where a Priority Dispatch System was discussed. Priority Dispatch became reality down the road.

Newbie's as well as old-timers can watch these episodes for the history of the Standard of Care in the mid-1970's. Note the changes, and be thankful that your truck doesn't carry a 42 pound defibrillator, and you have EMT-first responders on fire trucks and police cruisers. Make sure you young guys thank these trailblazers for their perseverance, patients, and tenacity. Without them, you wouldn't be here today.

I loved this series in my youth, and I have found in watching the other seasons on DVD that they still hold up very well thirty years later. Unfortunately, the quality of the transfers seems to be getting worse with each subsequent season release. This set is definitely the worst, to the point that it's almost unwatchable at times. The usual blue fire department shirts look aqua, many scenes are overly orange or dark, and so forth. In addition, I tried to report these problems to Universal through their feedback form on their web site, and it too was broken.

We enjoy watching Emergency! when t.v. is lacking and have all 5 seasons. Unfortunately, this season is like season 4 and the quality isn't the best.