For anyone who has access to the Discovery HD Theatre channel, they have a great show that's filmed in HD called "Risk Takers".
Previous episodes I've seen have featured the Coast Guard and Loggers. With beautiful HD photography, this 51 minute shows takes a comprehensive look at inherently dangerous jobs.
Yesterday, I saw an episode that featured Phoenix FD Engine 25 and Engine 725. The camera crew rode along for a 24 hour shift. During this shift, they caught two structure fires, and numerous medical calls and car accidents.
I feel they did an excellent job of explaining why firefighting is so dangerous, and why firefighters do what they do. They also showcased Phoenix FD's extreme customer service. They showed the crew going to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night, after overhaul, to get one of the standed occupants a robe. For the other fire, they did SALVAGE- just like in the textbook- and provided the family with boxes and bags, and helped them collect what remained of their possesions.
The captain featured has many near-death experiences in his 25 year career, including a two story fall, and getting hit by a car driven by a drunk driver at 70MPH while unloading the stretcher from the back of the ambulance- his partner was killed, and he walked away.
They also showcased some of the technology used by Phoenix FD, like CAFS and GPS routing and aerial satellite views of structures, which was really impressive.
Another neat thing they showed is Phoenix FD has a "Family Day", every Sunday, where the working crew's families can come to the firehouse for dinner.
I did feel some portions of the show were redundant, at least for me on my level, but I really enjoyed it.
