I remember this show as Emergency 51. Most likely because the Station and Truck number was 51 and the show was named Emergency!. The child mind is sometimes an interesting one. This show has to be in my list of all time favorite shows mainly because I remember watching this show not only in the 1970s when it ran in prime-time but also in the syndication re-runs on KTLA in the early 80s. Not only do I remember watching this show but I had the toys. Yep, they had toys for Emergency! and unfortunately I don’t have them any more. I wish I did.
The show was exciting. The guys DeSoto and Gage would be sitting at the table playing checkers and those awesome tones would sound overhead as the emergency call would come in. The men would run to either Engine 51 or Squad 51. The show was no ER but it had its medical drama along with the action of a rescue show. I always remember DeSoto and Gage calling in the emergency to Rampart and Rampart would always state, “give the victim 100cc saline and transport to Rampart” Then the ambulance would arrive and whisk the poor hurt victim away.
So, I remember my 7th birthday in 1979. My mother and I lived at the old Air Base in Roswell. When Walker Air Force Base closed the housing became rental properties. I don’t recall how long we lived there but it was just in the 1970s and I remember the duplex apartment being cold and dull. The events of my birthday are vague and I remember them to be mixed with happiness, selfishness and depression. I had a few of my friends and cousins over. Not too many children. There’s a picture of all of us in my mother’s photo album. Without going and looking at the photo it was: Shawn, Craig, my cousin Greg and Arnie and me. My cousin Arnie is wearing one of my birthday presents in the photo.
I mainly remember these events as over time, I have seen the photos in the big photo album at my mother’s. The last time I looked at it was when I was showing my soon-to-be-wife in 1998. So forgive me if in the last ten years I have some of the details screwed up.
So the present that Arnie was wearing in the photo was my new Emergency! firefighter role-play gear. It was a red fireman’s helmet with the Emergency 51 logo on the front, a plastic air tank, hose, face mask and tackle box. I was totally excited but I know selfishness and depression kicked in when I had to allow my younger cousin to proceed to wear it for the rest of the party. I’m the birthday kid and I don’t even get a picture of me in my latest present. No…that would be my cousin. Hint the emotions I remember from that time.
