Anisha Dutta
Following NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’, firefighter shows have become a staple on primetime tv. One such similarly themed series but with a comedic twist is ‘Tacoma FD’. Its events revolve around a certain firehouse in Tacoma, Washington, whose employees do not have much work. But they are always ready to extinguish fires. Instead, the firefighters need to deal with the less glamorous elements of the job.
In short, ‘Tacoma FD’ is basically ‘Super Troopers’, set in a fire station. Tacoma is the rainiest city in America and hence, serves as the perfect setting for a show where the firefighters have plenty of downtimes as they wait for calls. However, surprisingly, none of the scenes are filmed in the eponymous city. The show is shot entirely in different locations. Here’s a detailed description of all the spots where the comedy-drama is filmed.
Tacoma FD Filming Locations
‘Tacoma FD’ is filmed entirely in and around Woodland Hills and Montebello, California. Several of the exterior scenes are also shot in Los Angeles. But during postproduction, the lights are dimmed to give the backdrop a more dark, gloomy appearance. Although the crew wanted to shoot a part of the series in Tacoma, the budget did not allow them to execute the plan. The precinct scenes are filmed in multiple anonymous converted office parks in Southern California.
‘Tacoma FD’ does not feature a lot of fires and budget cuts are responsible for the same. We do see a fire in a marijuana dispensary in season 1 but overall, the lack of flames does not prove detrimental to the show’s concept. After all, the story is mostly about firefighters as they struggle with boredom in their downtime between calls.
During the filming of the first season, the crew did face the wrath of the actual Woolsey fire that ravaged the Santa Monica Mountains, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, and Malibu, destroying over 1,500 structures and 100,000 acres. The subsequent firestorm triggered more anxiety as well. In an interview with the LA Times, creator Steve Lemme admitted: “It’s an unpleasant juxtaposition … in that today what we’re doing is we’re going and fighting a little teeny fire in the back room of this weed dispensary and playing it for comedy. But just a couple miles away, there’s really serious stuff going on.”
In a behind-the-scenes clip released by truTV, we get a glimpse of the complete ‘Tacoma FD’ set in California. And it is packed with a lot of equipment. Here is a snapshot of the resident firetruck.
And below is a quick look at the costume room where the cast members change into their firefighter uniforms.
The all-inclusive set also has a Nintendo 64! You can check out the whole video here:
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