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How Rescue 911’s Legacy Lives On and Continues to Save Lives

What did Viewers of the First Episode of Rescue 911 Experience?

Rescue 911’s Opening Crawl

On a Tuesday night in mid-April 1989, viewers who tuned into CBS at 8:00pm were met with a sombre opening crawl for a 1-hour TV special called “Rescue 911.”

As the plain white text starts to scroll up over a black background, a white “TV-PG” logo appears in the top left of the screen. Then, a strangely familiar sounding voice read the on screen text:

“This program contains true stories of rescues. All of the 911 calls you will hear are real. Whenever possible, the actual people involved have helped us reconstruct the events as they happened.”

-Rescue 911 Opening Crawl, read by host William Shatner

You could feel your whole body tense up and your heart start to race. Filled with nervous anticipation of what would come next.

The Rescue 911 Theme Song

The show’s intro and theme song starts playing over actual 911 calls and video footage.

You immediately hear a woman’s voice and it is clear she is in severe distress. The woman says “Help, I need an ambulance.”

Then you hear a police dispatcher callout over a radio “calling all units.” That audio clip is mixed with a 911 call from a scared child saying “there’s someone in my house.”

The cuts come quick as the music builds to a climax and the action on screen is frenetic and intense. The voices of 911 operators can be heard taking calls and the voices of callers come in rapid fire succession. All callers sounded desperate for help.

You hear babies crying, police and rescuers yelling “go go go,” as sirens and explosions ring out.

You see people jumping into flooded rivers, running towards burning buildings, and an ER team racing a patient on a gurney to the OR.

A mother is shown holding her infant and both are crying tears of relief. The last visual we see is a tiny baby’s hand being tenderly held by an adult. The baby is surrounded by bandages, an OR table and all sorts of medical monitors and tubing.

Rescue 911’s Host

After an exhaustive, 50 seconds, the theme song and intro video fade to black. Then Captain Kirk appears, dressed in a formal black suit.

He is surrounded by monitors, screens, and people at their stations and control boards. This isn’t the USS Enterprise though, he looks to be standing in a real live 911 dispatch centre.

William Shatner introduces himself, welcomes viewers and then gets right to business.

Coverage of the Guadalupe River Flood Kicks off the Rescue 911 Phenomenon

In a serious tone, volume and cadence, Shatner introduces the first ever Rescue 911 segment.

It involves efforts to save a group of teens who become trapped during the July 17, 1987 flood of the Guadalupe River in Comfort, Texas.

Actual footage from rescue efforts that day shows a number of teens desperately clinging to trees while muddy flood water surges past them.

Shatner explains “in a matter of seconds, floodwaters had swept away 43 people and a call for help went out.”

As the real life drama unfolds, we see brave people rushing to try to help rescue flood victims.

We see a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter pull a person dangling from a cable suspended below the aircraft.

A TV news helicopter crew covering the story, springs into action to try and aid some stranded teens. Vietnam vet Mike Rice pilots the chopper and picks up volunteer fireman Ray Masterman to try and rescue the kids.

As video of the rescue attempts is shown on screen, audio clips of interviews with flood survivors, parents, and rescuers are interspersed, recapping the events and emotions felt that fateful day.

Then we see video of a 14-year old girl named Melanie Finley who is being swept away by the 60 mph flood waters. We watch the heart-wrenching scene of Masterman and Rice trying valiantly to save her, until Shaetner breaks the news that rescue efforts were unsuccessful.

The show cuts to a video interview with a grim-faced Ray Masterman. He reflects on how frustrating it was that Melanie’s fate couldn’t have been altered. As our hearts break for Melanie Finley, her family, and the rescuers that tried to save her, rescue efforts continue.

Help Arrives, But Not In Time to Save Everyone – The Reality of Emergency Calls

Army helicopters lift off and we are introduced to Sergeant Keith Mackenzie who is aboard one of them. Mackenzie recalls the chaotic scene and says that he could see kids flung on trees and hear them calling out “get me, get me.”

We witness Sergeant MacKenzie’s successful attempt to save 16-year old Scott Chatham.

Our narrator tells us that by 11:30 that morning, a few hours after the disaster began, it was all over. He states that 33 people had been saved, but tragically 10 children died in the flood.

The segment finishes with footage and interviews of the aftermath. Survivors share that they are grateful to their rescuers and that some suffer from survivor’s guilt. Grieving families share their stories in honour of those that were lost that day.

The rescuers are resoundingly commended by survivors and their families. As well as the families of then people who died that day.

Rescue 911 Shows The Impact and Trauma Experienced By Rescuers and Families

In a moving clip, we see Ray Masterman holding a small handwritten note. It was written to him by the sister of Melanie Finley. In it, she thanks him for his heroism that day, and for risking his life to try to save her sister. I cry every time I rewatch this moment.

Sergeant MacKenzie, who is credited with saving 15 kids, tells an interviewer that he doesn’t feel like a hero. In true hero fashion though, he modestly states that he was trained for this type of scenario, and was glad he could prove himself capable.

Mackenzie, Masterman, and the rest of the rescuers were some of the first real-life heroes I can remember seeing on TV. I was 9 when this episode aired and wasn’t old enough to be watching or listening to the news or reading the newspaper.

The segment closes with a shot of the memorial resurrected a year after the tragedy. The memorial honours the victims, survivors, and rescuers from that fateful day.

After all that, there are still 3 other stories yet to be told in this first Rescue 911 TV special.

The Era of Rescue 911 on TV has Begun

I’m not going to recap each of the other 3 stories in detail. I wanted to recap the first story because it is so dynamic and demonstrates a number of important aspects of the show.

Firstly, the content of the segment is raw. This was the case for much of the audio and video that was included in each episode of the show.

The show aired on prime-time on a Tuesday night and contained a content warning due to its mature subject matter.

Kids were still awake at 8pm, and some were watching Rescue 911. I know I was. And we just watched a real-life video of someone in peril who died.

Then we were told about 9 more deaths that occurred that day. I’m sure a lot of us (kids and adults) tuned in expecting only to see “rescues,” not deaths.

I didn’t mention it in the earlier recap of the “Church Bus” segment, but footage was also shown of a dead animal being swept away by the flood. I couldn’t tell for sure what type of animal, but I think it’s a horse.

That was an awful thing to witness. Paired with everything else about this tragedy, it kind of left me in shock.

I can’t remember for sure, but I think that during the commercial break, was when my parents made the decision to not let me watch the rest of the episode because it was too adult.

I’m pretty sure we would’ve changed the channel and watched Matlock or Who’s the Boss? on a different channel. 

The Immediate Appeal of Rescue 911

The Church Bus segment included pretty much everything that viewers would crave from the show.

It included real-life dangerous and perilous situations. It shared stories of heroism, bravery, courage, and triumphs of the human spirit.

But because it also depicted tragedies that resulted in death or serious injury, its stories of survival were all the more exhilarating.

Rescue 911’s version of what would now be called “reality TV,” was one that included a degree of unpredictability.

Viewers were often anxiously awaiting the drama to unfold so that they could find out the outcome of each incident.

By providing the views of both victims, their loved ones, witnesses, and rescue personnel, the show did a good job at presenting a holistic account of each incident, and how it impacted all involved.

The interviews and “where are they now” type clips really help viewers empathize with people involved in all aspects of the event. ‘

The heroes of each story are amazing examples of the human capacity to put the safety and wellbeing of others ahead of our own.

The heroes of each segment of the first Rescue 911 TV special are incredible. They deserve to be commended for what they do.

Why Were Audiences Drawn to Rescue 911?

Why Do Real-Life Stories of Emergencies Appeal to Us?

People enjoy stories that feature heroes and heroic acts. But I think what people enjoy even more are tales of survival.

Seeing people survive despite terrible odds or in extremely precarious situations helps us to feel safe.

We know that life is fleeting. The human story is about surviving. We want to live long and happy lives, full of enriching experiences and relationships.

By watching and listening to stories of humans surviving the dangers that exist in the world around us, it gives us reassurance that we too could endure anything we might encounter. 

We Want to Know What was that Like?

The last thing I want to touch on about the initial Rescue 911 segment is that this type of docudrama satisfies a human curiosity to know “what was that like?”

Again, it’s probably partly due to our evolution and needing to know how to survive to stay alive.

But I think there is a voyeuristic element as well. I think people are interested to know what things feel like that they hope they never have to experience.

Most of us like to wonder what we would do in certain situations. We also like to compare what we think we would do, to what other people actually do.

It’s a mental mind game that we play with ourselves, and sometimes talk about with others.

When watching the Church Bus segment, I find myself thinking about what I might do if I was caught in a flood.

I also think about what I would do if I was a bystander and saw people in danger of being swept away by surging flood waters. Or how I would react if I was a first responder. Would I be brave enough to dangle from a helicopter to try and rescue someone? Would I be skilled enough and strong enough to make sure that my rescue efforts were successful? How would I cope with not being able to save someone that I can see or hear, but can’t get to in time?

What all did Rescue 911 Cover?

Rescue 911’s Transition from TV Specials to a Weekly Series

As I mentioned earlier, this initial episode of Rescue 911 was a TV special. The show was not originally intended to be a series. It was only planned as three 1-hour TV special episodes.

However, the specials were such a hit that CBS and the show’s creators quickly set to work to compile a Season’s worth of episodes that would begin airing a few months later in September of 1989.

The show retained William Shatner as its host and went on to run for 7 Seasons. There are 127 episodes that aired prior to the show’s finale in August 1996. 

Episodes included a variety of 911 calls over the years. The most common segments covered crimes, automobile accidents, medical emergencies, fires, choking, and various degrees of personal injuries.

The next most common incidents involved near-drownings, childbirth, animal rescues, search and rescue situations, and aircraft-related emergencies.

From time-to-time, there were a few humorous, less life-threatening stories that made it on air. There was the burglar who got stuck upside-down when he tried breaking into a house Santa Clause via the chimney.

One that I remember was about a boy whose tongue got stuck to the inside of a freezer while digging for ice cream.

The inclusion of  these lighter stories was a smart decision by the show’s producers. They helped decrease the overall intensity of each episode. This was important because there were lots of young viewers tuning in.

Was Rescue 911 Scary?

I can’t remember exactly how long it took to finally convince my mom to let me resume watching the show.

It was definitely still within the first season because I remember watching the episode about an 18 year old woman who called 911 and hid under a bed when intruders broke in. This story was featured on episode 11 of Season 1.

I remember that the police got there in time and that they carried their K-9 officer up a ladder and turned him loose in the attic where he found the last of the bad men.

I found that story really scary. But I didn’t dare let my mom know that, else risk losing the chance to keep watching. 

Lots of other people also found the show scary too. While researching this article, I found numerous comments, posts, and articles where people claimed the show “scared the heck out of them.”

Some people even equated their fear of Rescue 911 with the fear they had of “Unsolved Mysteries,“ which began airing in 1987.

Ture Crime TV in the 80s and 90s

What True Crime TV Shows Were On TV in the 80s and 90s?

It was an interesting time for TV for sure. Unsolved Mysteries already had a loyal fanbase. And “America’s Most Wanted” was quickly gaining popularity after starting its TV run in 1988.

All three of these shows featured “real life” stories about people in peril who were wounded, or died.

All 3 shows also featured stories of the worst of humankind.

Why do we “Like” True Crime?

Earlier, I touched on how I believe that the most appealing part of watching shows like Rescue 911 is being able to see and hear human survival stories.

There also exists a different kind of curiosity. Many of us are somewhat fascinated by the real-life monsters that walk among us.

Seeing bad people or people that do terrible things (or both), is intriguing, in a multitude of ways.

For me, I’ve always been curious to try and find out why people do awful things. I’m fascinated by the psychology behind bad behaviour.

I’m equally interested in the nature vs nurture debate. Are people born evil? Or do people become capable of doing evil things because of the environment that they grow up in and the people who influence the development of their personality traits?

If I really think hard about why I personally am interested in this, it probably leads me back to my original interest in survival stories.

I think that I’m curious about people’s behaviour, because if I can try to understand it, I can better predict it.

If I can predict it or better understand why dangerous people do what they do, I may have a better chance of surviving chance encounters with someone who intends to do me harm. Probably naive, I know.

How to Cover True Crime Responsibly

Regardless, there is a danger in focussing too much on the perpetrator. The last thing we want to do is to give that person more notoriety, power, or attention.

In stories about crime, or people doing bad things to other people, it should be the victim that we talk about and focus on more than the perpetrator. 

With Rescue 911, the focus was on the victims, the survivors, their families, and their rescuers.

While criminals, their crimes, and criminal behaviour was depicted in a number of the stories told on Rescue 911, they were never the focus of any of the stories.

This is something the show got right. I personally don’t remember any episodes that sensationalized criminals and their actions. The voice of the victims and those impacted by crime was always at the forefront of each segment.

This did, on rare occasions, leave me wanting a bit more detail about the person who acted criminally though. It’s a delicate thing to try to balance.

What Was the Impact of Watching Shows Like Rescue 911?

The Impact on Young Viewers

Now that we’re talking about psychology, it’s probably a good time to discuss some of the concerns about Rescue 911’s effect on young viewers.

While shows like Rescue 911, Unsolved Mysteries, and America’s Most Wanted were popular in the late 80s and early 90s, the shows weren’t without criticisms.

As I mentioned earlier, my parents pulled the plug on me watching the original Rescue 911 TV special out of fear that it was too mature for me to watch as a kid. This was a concern among a number of parents, and some child psychologists, child advocates, legislators, and other professionals.

Unsolved Mysteries, America’s Most Wanted, and “Cops” that had begun airing in March of 1989, somewhat shielded Rescue 911 from the bulk of criticism.

Cops and America’s Most Wanted were by far more graphic and disturbing, and Unsolved Mysteries was much more frightening and unsettling. These reality-based shows were no-no’s for most younger viewers.

However, by 1992, it had become clear that families were watching Rescue 911 together. The show had become CBS’s second-most-popular show for the 2-to-11-year-old viewer demographic. 

Criticisms About Rescue 911’s Impact on Young Viewers

In the fall of 92, a few months into Rescue 911’s 4th Season, investigative reporter Susan Antilla wrote an article for the New York Times that discussed concerns about the show’s effects on young viewers.

In the article, the show’s producer Arnold Shapiro says that the folks at CBS originally thought the show would only appeal to adult males.

Mr Shapiro claims that once he and his colleagues realized 13% of the audience were children, they took more care to consider what content would be too harsh for young viewers. In Ms Antilla’s article, host William Shatner also echoes Mr Shaprio’s comments.

However, after the article came out the show continued to describe and display actual and reenacted horrific accidents, children being hurt, rapes, a K-9 officer murdered, human deaths, and other catastrophic events.

While a few of the more graphic parts of some stories took place off screen, the show could be visually gory. The descriptions of violent, and gruesome events included all the disturbing details of the trauma experienced by each victim.

What Have We Learned About the Impact of Shows Like Rescue 911?

The effects of shows like Rescue 911, as well as other types of content, and TV in general, has been studied since the 1960s and 1970s. The first scientific study regarding the impact of TV watching on children actually occurred in 1949!

It’s been more than 30 years since Susan Antilla’s New York Times article citing concerns about Rescue 911’s impact on young viewers. Certainly by now, scientists must have figured things out right?

Not exactly.

It appears that the variety of opinions on the impact of TV series like Rescue 911 on kids are as diverse as the different emergency calls featured on the show.

Clear, concise, observable cause-and-effect relationships from studying kids who are exposed to such content, simply don’t exist. Opinions seem to only be opinions and sometimes two people reviewing the results of the exact same study, come up with different conclusions. 

How Did Watching Rescue 911 Effect You and Me?

Let’s move away from the purely scientific realm. Let’s look at the effect of Rescue 911 on 9-15 year olds using a sample size of 1: me.

What impact did the show have on me?

I couldn’t really tell you about any psychological effects or any PTSD like symptoms that I experienced as a direct result of watching the show.

It did frighten me when I watched it. I probably had the odd nightmare about situations depicted on the show from time-to-time. However, I wasn’t negatively impacted.

I developed a healthy fear of the dangers that exist in our environment and in our society. But I didn’t become overcome by unnatural fears that impending doom was lurking around every corner.

Honestly, for me, the biggest impact the show had on me was instilling an admiration for the people who respond to calls for help; the people who run towards danger and that dedicate their lives to helping others. And the animals like the K-9 officers featured on some episodes too.

I also developed an understanding that most horrors can be overcome, and that we humans have an incredible knack for enduring some of the worst things we encounter. 

I’ve also learned that my experience with shows like Rescue 911 is totally unique to me and my situation. So many variables including all kinds of other influences and experiences I had growing up, plus my DNA, shaped my development.

What about you? What memories of the show do you have? How do you think the show impacted you?

What People are Saying Online About Rescue 911

Anecdotally, I did come across a few comments and reddit posts of people who claim the show instilled them with abnormal fears of things like escalators, glass-top coffee tables, and pool drains.

Resoundingly, people who watched Rescue 911 when they were young say the show scared them.

Almost as many people mention the fact that watching the show was something they did as a family.

A fair amount of people say they have either gone back to rewatch episodes and/or wish that the show would come back.

Wasn’t there supposed to be a Reboot of Rescue 911?

There were whispers of a reboot in the works back in 2018, however nothing panned out.

From what I can tell, the reboot was supposed to be a live event, with camera crews following first responders as they respond to 911 calls.

It seems as though the logistics of this played a part in preventing the show from seeing new life.

If We Can’t Get a Reboot, What Else Can We Watch?

Tthe show did inspire a number of other TV shows over the years.

Many other countries developed TV series focussing on calls and responses to each country’s unique emergency call numbers. Shows like “999” in the UK that focussed on calls to the UK’s emergency number 999.

Fictionalized shows like “The Rookie,” “Chicago Fire,” and Fox’s “9-1-1” all have capitalized on Rescue 911’s success by giving audiences stories about first responders.

Reality-based shows like “World’s Wildest Police Videos,” “Untold Storie of the ER,” and “Nightwatch“ all fill the void left by Rescue 911.

Shows like “Live PD” and “Live Rescue” also served up a live version of emergency responses. This is probably similar to what Rescue 911 was hoping to do when rumours of its reboot surfaced in 2018.

Although Rescue 911 wasn’t solely about crimes, a number of True Crime documentaries, docudramas, and podcasts owe some of their success to Rescue 911. Investigation Discovery channel is home to countless shows all about Emergency Situations.

Missing Rescue 911?

Am I glad that I watched the show from the time I was a preteen through my early teen years?

Yes.

Would I have let my daughter watch the show when she was 10?

Yes.

I think it would be something that we’d watch together and then talk about the takeaways from each episode. Things like if something bad happens, try and stay calm while quickly calling for help,: not to play with matches or talk to strangers, and to make sure that she knows how to evacuate in case of fire or other emergencies. 

Rescue 911 as an Educational TV Show

Rescue 911 Saves Lives

Lessons people learned from watching Rescue 911 have been credited for saving lives.

Viewers wrote letters to the CBS and the show’s creators, thanking them for sharing stories and providing tips that ultimately helped them to  survive similar incidents. 

While the show was on air, at least 350 people wrote such letters. However, people associated with the show claim that the number of lives saved likely numbered in the thousands.

Annie Murphy of St. Louis, Missouri, credits a story from episode 14 of Season 1 about a gas leak in the home of Bob and Magda Brown for saving Annie and her family.

Mrs. Murphy was in a hospital Emergency waiting room when she watched the episode while waiting to be seen by doctors because she wasn’t feeling well.

She immediately realized that her symptoms were almost identical to what the Brown’s experienced as they were slowly being poisoned by deadly Carbon Monoxide (CO).

Annie quickly phoned her partner Glenn and told him to get their kids out of the house.

As it would turn out, Mrs. Murphy was suffering from CO poisoning and her call to Glenn helped save the family from dying from breathing the deadly gas. 

Rescue 911 Inspires Generations of New Emergency Response Workers

The show also contributes to saving lives in another way. Rescue 911 inspired a new generation of heroes to enter into careers as emergency responders.

These future 911 operators, police, fire, paramedics, nurses and EMTs went on to save lives as they dutifully served their communities.

Kyle Bennett, whose near-fatal snake bite as a Louisiana toddler was depicted on the series in 1991, grew up to be an Emergency Medical Technician.

Hurst, Texas police department’s 2014 Civilian of the Year Stephanie Morales, a supervisor in the communications department, credits Rescue 911 with inspiring her to pursue a career in dispatch.

“I’d like to thank William Shatner,” Emergency Medical Technician Allison Salamoni said as she accepted the EMT of the Year award in 2016. “As a young child I was drawn to emergency medicine by Rescue 911.”

Decades after Rescue 911’s final episode was created, more and more people continue to credit the show with saving lives, and inspiring them to work in emergency services.

Rescue 911’s Most Memorable Episode

“Escalator Traps Boy”

As people reminisce about the show, the conversation inevitably shofts to what their most memorable episode is.

One story that gets mentioned a lot, is that of 4 year-old Michael MacIntosh who gets stuck in an escalator.

While waiting for a train at the Rundle Light Rail Transit station in Calgary, Alberta, Michael wanders away from his mother and hops on the escalator only to have his coat get stuck and start choking him.

18 year-old good samaritan Nathan Gray hears the boy’s scream and hollers for someone to call 911 as he races towards Michael hoping to pull him free.

By the Time Gray reaches Michael, who is now laying at the bottom of the escalator, the 4 year-old’s arm has been pulled beneath a metal plate at the foot of the escalator.

Micheal starts turning blue as the metal teeth of the tracking continue to pull his clothes tighter around his neck and pull the boy’s arm further below the metal plate.

Other onlookers comes to help Gray and someone pushed the emergency stop button. Meanwhile the 18 year-old hero uses his pocket knife to try to cut Michael’s clothes free.

By the time the fire department arrives, Gray and the team of people who rush to help the boy have removed enough clothing so that Michael is able to breathe again. It would take longer for Calgary Fire personnel to carefully disassemble part of the escalator to totally free the boy.

Miraculously, Michael only suffered a broken arm, scrapes and bruises. 

How to Find More Information About Rescue 911?

The Rescue 911 Fan Wiki

For more information about any and all episodes of Rescue 911, you may want to check out the Fan Wiki. It is an awesome resource for people wanting to try to find details about episodes they remember.

If you only remember part of the story, you can use the search function of the Fan Wiki to type in words like “dump truck,” “bobcat,” or “tongue stuck in freezer.”

You can also search for your home Province or State to find stories that occurred close to your home. 

How to Find “Where Are They Now” Information About People From the Show

If you’re like me, you may be curious about what happened to the people featured in Rescue 911 stories.

Through the magic of the internet, you can actually track down information about some people by “googling” their names.

There is also an amazing Facebook Group dedicated to the heroes, victims, and families connected to the show. Members of this group share information about people from the show and provide updates to the community.

Its membership isn’t just made up of fans though. People featured on the show, like James Corder from the segmen: “Teens Alcohol Poisoning” of Episode 614 have joined the group. A number of emergency workers and family members also belong to the group. 

Let’s Talk About Rescue 911

Ok, so I’ve shared how much I loved this show, now I’d love to hear from you.

What story do you remember the most? Were you somehow connected to one of the Rescue 911 calls featured on the show? Did the show scare you too much to watch it? Did you grow up watching a similar show like “999” in the UK?

Drop a comment below to let us know.

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a rad rest of your day!

Still need more Rescue 911?

A quick youtube search for “Rescue 911” will provide you with hours of nostalgia.

If you are into collecting and want to purchase some official Rescue 911 Merch, you can check amazon, ebay or other auction sites for the following items listed on the Rescue 911 Wikipedia page:

Books

• Rescue 911 Extraordinary Stories by Linda Maron
• Rescue 911 Kid Heroes by Alison Hendrie
• Rescue 911 Amazing Rescues by Alison Hendrie
• Rescue 911 Humorous Rescues by R. M. Ferrara
• Rescue 911 Animal Rescues by R. M. Ferrara
• The Rescue 911 Family First Aid & Emergency Care Book by Julie Motz

Toys and Games

• Model kits: In 1993, AMT-ERTL released three Rescue 911 themed emergency vehicle model kits. These models were: Police car (1990 Ford Taurus), Rescue ambulance (Dodge), Rescue helicopter (Civilian Medical Rescue Helicopter).
• Squirt Extinguisher: In 1993, JA-RU, Inc. released a toy fire extinguisher water squirter.
• Handheld game: In 1993, Micro Games of America released a handheld game based on the show. MatchBox Rescue 911 themed cars: Pacecar, medic’s car, fire observer van, police van, along with search and rescue-themed vehicles.
• Slot car sets: In 1993, Marchon, Inc. released 2 slot cars sets called “Rescue 911 Chopper Rescue” and “Rescue 911 Police Pursuit”.
• Emergency Communications Vehicle: In 1993, Marchon, Inc. released a toy battery-powered police car which included a remote control intercom.
• Pinball machine: In May 1994, Premier Technologies, (Gottlieb) released a Rescue 911 pinball machine. It featured a helicopter that magnetically captured the ball as well as a red revolving light on the backbox. I actually remember playing this at our local arcade. (In March 2016, it was released in The Pinball Arcade for PC, Android mobile devices and iOS.)

Someone even started a petition around 2011-2012 in hopes of securing 5,000 supporters who want to bring back Rescue 911.

Uptake on the petition has been slow. As of the time of writing this article it is at 14 signatures. At an average of one signature per year, by the year 7012 the petition will be ready to submit to CBS.