In September 1971, NBC agreed to purchase and broadcast a two-hour World Premiere and six one-hour episodes of a proposed new television series to be called “Emergency!” The series was to feature two Los Angeles County firefighter/paramedics who would be assigned to the fictional Squad 51. (That number was selected because the L.A. County Fire Department had no Station 51 at the time). The World Premiere was scheduled for broadcast in January 1972.

To create a new series and produce six to eight hours of original, entertaining TV content in less than four months was unheard of. But Executive Producer Robert A. Cinader accepted the challenge, assembled the cast and production team, supervised thousands of details, rewrote scripts, and met the deadline with hours to spare.

One of the biggest hurdles was finding vehicles that could be used by the crew of Station 51 – specifically a triple combination pumper for Engine 51 and a small truck with utility body to be used as Squad 51. After making an arrangement with the fire department, Universal Studios created adhesive numbers (“51”) that could be placed over the regular numbers of Engines 127 and 60. These were identical Crown pumpers; one was stationed at 127’s in Carson (the station depicted as “51”) and the other was at Station 60 on the grounds of Universal Studios.

At the time, the L.A. County Fire Department operated 27 rescue squads. Except for a van-type training rig (Squad 59) all of them used the small truck chassis (either Ford or Dodge) with utility bodies, and they were each staffed by two firefighters. At the time, only two of the regular rescue squads (18 and 36) had been converted to paramedic units but the department was gearing up to convert all of the squads within three years. In addition, the Department owned a number of reserve rescue squad vehicles.

In filming the World Premiere of “Emergency!,” Universal Studios rented a reserve squad vehicle from the fire department. Meanwhile, the transportation and property departments at Universal Studios were busy preparing for the weekly series that was to follow. From Chrysler they received a new (1972 model) Dodge one-ton truck chassis. They asked the Fire Department to sell them a utility body that was identical to the ones used on County rescue trucks. The County Mechanical Department replied that it would take four to five months to construct one. Instead, the studio asked for and received the blueprints for the body. The craftsmen at the studio built the body in less than a week.

Even though Squad 51 began work as a film star in 1972, the registration for the vehicle lists it as a 1974 model. Probably, the Chrysler Corporation considered the truck as new, unsold stock until 1974 when they transferred title to Universal Studios. The Museum Association has the original Department of Motor Vehicles registration document from 1974.

During the six years she was used in filming “Emergency!’ Squad 51 was pampered on the outside but she was abused mechanically. There were thousands of cold starts; during a day of filming, the engine rarely reached running temperature before being turned off to wait for the next scene. Many scenes required sharp, slow-speed turns and maneuvers that took their toll on the front suspension.

When filming of “Emergency!” ended in 1978, Squad 51 was donated by the studio to the fire department. For several years, the vehicle sat outdoors at the training center in East Los Angeles. On occasion, when the department ran out of reserve units, she would be pressed into service on a temporary basis. All the while, the paint dulled and rubber tires, suspension bushings and window moldings hardened and cracked.

In 1998, we requested that Squad 51 be donated to the Museum Association by the County of Los Angeles. Eventually, a resolution authorizing the transfer was approved by the County Board of Supervisors. In 1999, in preparation for Project 51’s national tour and donation ceremonies at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, CLAFMA supervised and paid for a frame-off restoration of Squad 51. The restoration cost nearly $30,000, funds that were generated mostly by Museum Association membership dues.

Squad 51 now looks and runs better than new, and it is the single-most popular vehicle in the Museum’s collection. On the Project 51 national tour, thousands of people posed for the photos in front the vehicle. Every year, people from all over North America and other countries make arrangements to visit our South Gate warehouse and have their picture taken with Squad 51.