BET Reality TV Show "First In" Follows Compton Firefighters

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"First In" is a new reality TV show which follows the lives of firefighters, both on and off duty.  The show, which debuts on BET on Wednesday, September 30th at 10 p.m., centers around members of the Compton Fire Department, one of the busiest fire departments located in one of the most crime-prone cities in the United States.

Shot over eight weeks, a production company approached Deputy Chief Marcel Melanson about featuring his department in the show.  Melanson and his crew agreed, and they were followed by cameras 24 hours a day.  The result was an important series that shows America what being a firefighter is all about.  Viewers will see the men and women juggle their personal lives and careers.

The show also features a lot of action as the Compton Firefighters and Paramedics respond to many calls.  Explaining one of the emergency calls that is featured in the show, Chief Melanson says, "Probably our most notable was a plane crash into a house.  We had a small Cesna-type plane that actually lawn-darted into the roof of a house, and four people were actually injured but they all lived."

Celebrity Tyrese Gibson narrates the show and is one of its Executive Producers.  Gibson decided to do the show not for money or to add another project to his resume, but rather, to help Americans appreciate the efforts of firefighters and to make legislators see the importance of giving them the funding and resources they need to fight fires and save lives.  He explains, "Our mission is beyond coming into each one of these communities and filming and capturing these moments that are happening in all these traumatic situations.  Our mission is to really shed light on what's going on in a lot of these communities, asking the mayors and the governments to not trim down on the funding for firefighters and certain organizations that the firemen really need in order to keep doing what they are doing."

Prior to the show's premier, Gibson, the Compton Firefighters and BET brought clips of the series to three high schools in Compton, including Compton High School, in order to promote students' participation in the city's Explorer Program.  This program aims to keep kids 15 to 21 off of the streets and focused on a career in firefighting.  A portion of the money made from "First In" will be donated to help with the Explorer Program.  Tyrese Gibson explains the importance of having such a program in a city with a high crime rate like Compton, saying, "We didn't have an Explorer Program when I was younger in Watts.  I did one year in the hood, and you tend to want to become what you see."

Students attending the assemblies were thrilled to meet Tyrese Gibson and the Compton Firefighters and were enthusiastic about the show and the prospect of participating in the Explorer Program.  Many of the kids said that this is the first time a celebrity had visited their school and were moved by Tyrese's talk and the presentation of "First In".

You can watch new episodes of "First In" each Wednesday at 10 p.m.  Check your with your local satellite or cable provider for availability. 



Author:Deanne Goodman - FDNNTV.com