So you've been wondering if there is any truth to the reformed company in Rob Lowe's 911: Lone Star.
Answer from Carina:
Actually, yes. Sort of. 911: Lone Star is real – in the sense that there was an actual event that inspired it? I'm not talking about the companies (Ladder 3, Rescue 1, and Squad 1) that had to be rebuilt after 9/11. This refers to an actual event that occurred in Texas. It was condensed and made Hollywood ready with Rob Lowe, but something similar did happen.
(You may not remember because the Boston Marathon Bombing happened April 15, 2013.)
So what happened?
In Texas on April 17, 2013, 10 firefighters died fighting a fire at a fertilizer plant that ultimately exploded. Not everyone was in one company. Multiple volunteer firefighters and a full-time captain that happened to be driving by all perished. Two members of the firefighting company survived because they were too far away. Many of the victims weren't even supposed to be there; they had come from a nearby EMS class that was going at the same time. (The photos included in the above link are something to behold.) It's somewhat sad that articles like this discussed a firehouse that lost its entire shift yet missed out on the actual events that are the basis of 911: Lone Star.
Wow, that's sad. What's that NIOSH link you have there?
The CDC keeps a database of firefighter fatalities and has extensive reports based on where things went wrong and how fire departments can fix these things in the future. I use this website regularly for research personally when I write one of my books.
You do actual research to write your books?
Yes, I spend alot of time doing research to make sure my medical/surgery/fire scenes are pretty accurate. It might be fun to watch Grey's Anatomy, Chicago Fire, and 911, but they can sacrifice reality for drama sometimes.
My personal favorite series of books that I wrote are my MetroGen Scandals series. If someone performs surgery, I even made sure they were standing in the right spot. (No comment on my research into the steamy scenes - my six kids came from somewhere.)
You can find the first book in the series HERE at https://authorcarinaalyce.com/products/smolder or buy the whole 11 book series for 50% off!
