For the uninitiated, Police Rescue Australia may sound like an Aussie version of the fictionalized dramas that are all the rage at the moment such as the ‘Chicago’ series of shows or the hugely popular NCIS and its own series of spin-offs.
Police Rescue Australia however is very real and for the first time ever, the NSW Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit are opening its doors for an all-access look.
In the brand new series that premiered at the end of May, the real-life drama follows a group of elite officers risking their lives to save others. They are some of the best-trained rescuers in the world, and viewers have the chance to see the high-risk, often traumatic incidents they regularly find themselves in.
Narrated by Australian actor, writer and director Brendan Cowell, who most would recognize from his recent appearance in Avatar: The Way of Water, Police Rescue Australia follows the Police Rescue units in the Sydney and Blue Mountains areas of New South Wales.
The show gives viewers an up close and action-packed look at how the officers in the squad routinely risk their own lives working to save others, from cliff and mountain helicopter rescues to missing person searches in the Blue Mountains and even abseiling down the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Mediaweek spoke to Officer Andrew Mayfield who appears in the show about his role and how he wants the show to resonate with viewers.
Officer Mayfield is a Leading Senior Constable that is involved with day-to-day general rescue as well as bomb disposal operations. In Police Rescue Australia, he conducts the training of new recruits.
When asked what kind of situations viewers can expect throughout the season, Officer Mayfield said the show has an abundance of different, high-risk situations.
“The viewers will see rescue operators from the Rescue & Bomb Disposal Unit (RBDU) in many different situations they are faced with on the daily from missing person/s, Motor Vehicle accidents, and rescues from heights, depths and confined spaces,” he said.
As one could imagine, filming a show that highlights real-life high-risk situations requires a certain level of safety to ensure a safe filming environment for everyone involved and Officer Mayfield stresses that the Police Operators play a large part in safety for all.
“The operators are there for the safety and wellbeing of other police, members of the community and the film crews following our every move.”
Officer Mayfield’s attraction to the role of a rescue operative started when he was young, seeing rescue operations around the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney where he grew up. Funnily enough, he grew up watching the show Police Rescue which premiered in 1989, although, the rescues seen on that program can’t compare to the real-life appeal of the new show.
“I became a rescue operative in 2005 after applying from general duties to undertake the difficult tasks of the selection course and then completing the 6 weeks operators course. I became aware of the Police Rescue Squad (as it was formerly known) in my very early days as they attended many areas in the Eastern Suburbs where I grew up,” he said.
From devastating bushfires and flooding that have reared their all to ugly heads in the past few years in NSW, Officer Mayfield says he has had many incidents that he has seen over the years that will be with him forever, but the one that has stuck with him the most relates to the recent flooding.
“The most rewarding aspect of my career would be the most recent floods where people of the community came and thanked us for the work we do. Specifically, being recognised in the street by people I had personally rescued coming to say thank you really stuck with me.”
Officer Mayfield expressed that he wants the show to resonate with viewers in a way that shows the true dedication that the special operatives show not only in the show but in their careers in general.
“I hope viewers can see the compassion and dedication displayed by the men and women past and present that represent the RBDU and all that they are faced with on a daily basis and still be able to have a smile on their face.”
Police Rescue Australia is a series by television production company Lune Media for Nine Network Australia. In addition to Nine the series has been pre-sold to TVNZ (New Zealand) and More4, a free-to-air channel owned by Channel Four (UK).
Lune Media: executive producer is Ashley Davies and director of programs is David Galloway.
The Lune Media team has been behind Australian television successes in recent years including Could You Survive on the Breadline?, Fight for Planet A, War on Waste, and Struggle Street.
Episode 4 of Police Rescue Australia premieres Monday, June 19 at 8:50 pm on Nine and 9Now.
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Top Image: Officer Andrew Mayfield