By By Adam Prestridge
Atmore Community Hospital was one of the sites of filming for a new, drama television show Wednesday morning.
The crew of Alabama 9-1-1 TV, an Alabama reality television show that salutes Alabama's law enforcement and emergency services, were in Atmore filming a commercial for LifeFlight and Baptist Hospital to air during the shows timeslot.
"The show is going to be similar to 'Cops' except it's going to comprise of law enforcement, rescue personnel, EMS and fire departments," the show's host Tracy Hawsey said. "It's a combination of all of that, not just the law enforcement side."
Baptist LifeFlight outreach coordinator Lee Rumbley said the show's mission is what attracted his organization to sponsor the show.
"We're all about helping out and getting exposure for the emergency services community," Rumbley said. "We're glad to be apart of it. We're going to incorporate some footage of Atmore Community Hospital in the commercial. We want to promote this hospital and this area. It gives us a good chance to get out and let people know what we do and promote the job that we do."
ACH is the only hospital that Baptist owns in Alabama. Since the show focus' exclusively on Alabama, Rumbley said he didn't want ACH to be left out.
The show, which debuted this morning at midnight in Montgomery, will also air on Mobile's Fox affiliate, Fox 10, between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. next Saturday night.
"Our goal obviously is to have it air throughout the state," Hawsey said. "We want to be aired at midnight throughout the state."
Hawsey said the show was his and producer Michael Smith's brainchild.
"Myself and Mike Smith were sitting around one day and said 'You know it would be nice to have something other than just a cops show,'" Hawsey said. "There are several cop shows, there's 'Montgomery Cops', there's 'County Law' also in Montgomery."
Smith, who was on site at ACH, also serves as vice president and cameraman for Alabama 9-1-1 TV. He filmed several shots of LifeFlight paramedics working with equipment inside one of the helicopters, as well as, aerial footage from inside one of the LifeFlight helicopters of another helicopter performing maneuvers.
Atmore was not the first, nor the last stop for the duo.
"We've traveled Montgomery, Lee, Conecuh and Covington counties," Hawsey said. "We've been to a lot of places, a lot of fire departments, sheriff's departments and police departments. We've been welcomed. It's not just another cop show, it's a way to accent the state of Alabama."
As for the response, Hawsey said it's been great.
"It's been pretty good," Hawsey said. "Obviously we're just getting started. It's a brand new show and getting it off the ground has been a challenge. We're filling up with commercials. I can't express enough that it highlights all of the three entities.
"It's to show the good side of the three. It will be just like a cop show, but the spin will be that it will include fire and rescue and EMS. We just want to showcase the departments that are within our state."