LA Fire & Rescue Season 1 Episode 3 Review: The Real Baywatch

***DURING THE WGA AND SAG-AFTRA STRIKE, BEGIN REVIEWS WITH THE FOLLOWING, FILLING IN THE BRACKETED PORTION***

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, LA Fire & Rescue being covered here wouldn’t exist.

A part of Los Angeles County life that some might not think is connected to the fire department would be the Ocean Lifeguards, but they are. LA Fire & Rescue Season 1 Episode 3, “The Real Baywatch,” introduces us to the intrigue and perils of being a lifeguard at LA’s beaches.

This sets the docuseries even further above other first responder series because of its focus on an element of first response that is often overlooked.

Water Rescue

One of the most intriguing part about the whole Lifeguard team of LA County is the multitude of responsibilities they have on their shoulders. When you think lifeguard most often your mind thinks of keeping an eye on a few dozen or so people at a time. 

It is rare that you imagine the responsibility being as high as hundreds of people. However, the Ocean Lifeguard position is exactly that.

What’s even more insane about this responsibility is that you have to go into it with the belief that no one you are watching has any ocean safety knowledge — because 9 times out of 10 they don’t. Having that many people’s lives in your hand at any given time makes this job only for the strongest of hearts.

You have to be on all the time, which can be hard for anyone. However, these lifeguards make it their mission to have everyone go home from the beach safely.

Adding an event like the Malibu Triathlon to the table of usual responsibilities for these guys makes it that much more intense. During a triathlon, the competitors tend to push themselves further than they are supposed to, and therefore creates multiple emergencies.

“The Real Baywatch” shows us that LACoFD doesn’t spare any expense for tools for the Ocean Lifeguard teams. These individuals have assistance in the form of Air Ops, rescue boats, jet skis, 4-wheel drive carts, and a variety of other first responder tools.

Not every lifeguard team in the nation has these tools for their team specifically, so it’s great to know that LA County’s beaches are very well protected.

The Inglewood Guys

Of all the houses we have met so far, Station 172 in Inglewood is probably the most fun to follow around. These guys have the most energy and personality in all of LA.

They take the time to truly relax between calls whether it is through dance-offs or pranking one another or even pick-up basketball games. These guys know that what they see on the job is tough and that means they need to let it all out in fun, energetic, and positive ways.

Station 172 is also one of the only houses that take mental responses to calls extremely seriously. Of all the houses we have met, 172 is the one most likely to be breaking down a call during the moments after it plays out. 

This shows viewers that these guys are aware of what can happen if they bottle what they see up inside. Inglewood is a tough area of LA County to cover, and they see a lot of not-so-positive calls. 

During this episode, we get to see them break down what they did for a senior citizen whom they found on his floor having been stuck there for 2 days. They also broke down how they could’ve done things differently or even if they needed to. 

This gives us a bigger look inside who these firefighters are as individuals and how they react to the job they are tasked with doing.

Firefighters Help Outside of Fires Too

One of the greatest things to see with LA Fire & Rescue is the number of houses that also use community outreach as part of their responsibilities to their community. They realize their presence can make a big difference in the communities they serve even without putting out fires.

Paco Lomeli and his little friend Jason are a great example of this. Lomeli works at Station 16 and grew up without a solid father figure in his life, so he makes sure to be that figure for the single-parent kids within their community.

He goes out of his way to ensure Jason is doing his homework and encourages the kid to come by the station with his schoolwork so he can get extra help if he needs it. Paco even has a reward system in place to get Jason excited about reading and math, etc.

Meanwhile, over at 172 the guys consistently play pick-up games of basketball with the neighborhood kids in the hopes it will encourage them to stay out of gangs. These guys all grew up around gang influence so they know how easy it can be to turn away from a rewarding career such as a firefighter when the gangs offer money and notoriety.

It’s great to see them work with the kids in their community to meet them at their level. These guys don’t push the firefighter agenda, but they do bring it up if the conversation steers that direction organically. 

There is a kid who talks about wanting to be a police officer, but he’s not entirely sure. So, Michael Anderson tells him to come by the firehouse in a couple of years to do their Explorer program.

It’s community outreach like this that makes the biggest difference and proves that not all heroes wear capes.

 

What did you think of this episode of LA Fire & Rescue? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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LA Fire & Rescue airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

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