A series of dramatic videos captured attention on social media this week, showing a Chicago firefighter attempting a daring but ill-advised rescue as a car became impossibly stuck high in a building.
If these videos seem to defy reality and be something straight out of Hollywood, there’s a good reason for that.
Many users on TikTok speculated in the comments that the seemingly emergency event had to be staged as part of a movie set for NBC’s “Chicago Fire.” As it turns out, they were right.
“Chicago Fire” is indeed filming scenes from the day for an upcoming episode, the show confirmed to USA Today on Thursday. No other details about the scene have been revealed, nor when viewers will be able to see it appear in an episode of the long-running series.
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TikTok video shows car inside building and firefighters jumping on board
Video that began circulating on social media on Thursday showed a blue sedan trapped inside the building as a firefighter jumped onto the car from a ladder and knocked the vehicle out.
Another silver two-door car could be seen on the street, parked in front of the Chicago Fire Department truck.
“Someone gave this guy his keys,” TikTok user @mat_the_wumbo said in a video that has been viewed more than 6 million times.
The seemingly serious emergency and dramatic rescue was quickly debunked by many users, who speculated based on comments that it was just a scene from the Chicago Fire movie. The drama, which follows the firefighters, rescue workers and paramedics of the Chicago Fire Department’s fictional Fire Station 51, is now in its 12th season on NBC.
For fans of the show, here’s a tell-tale secret: Some footage shows trucks bearing the logo of Team Three, which is the number for the unit depicted in the show.
Chicago FD reacts to viral video: ‘Never gonna happen’
The Chicago Fire Department also confirmed to USA Today on Thursday that the video circulating was not authentic.
As commenters noted, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford told USA Today that the fictional squad cannot be confused with the real Chicago Fire Department because the agency does not have a third squad.
Also, the rescue method described in the video isn’t exactly…standard procedure.
Langford said if a firefighter attempted such a stunt, the individual would almost certainly face some level of disciplinary action for a “direct violation of protocol.”
“Television shows take liberties with our technology in the name of time efficiency and drama,” Langford said. “If this were a real incident, what you see in the video would never have happened.”
How would Chicago FD really handle this situation?
Langford even checked with the fire department’s special operations team about fire department procedures before coming up with what sounded like a mundane explanation.
If a car successfully crashes into a building of such height, rescuers will first stabilize it by attaching ropes to the frame and securing these ropes to internal anchor points, such as suitable posts in the structure. If the integrity of the building was not compromised, firefighters would use a winch system to pull the vehicle back into the building, taking care to ensure it did not leak gasoline.
Only then, Langford said, would the victim inside the vehicle be removed and treated. Rescuers simply don’t use ladders to climb onto vehicles, such as the ones used in the movie “Chicago Fire.”
“It looks exciting, but it’s not backed up by reality at all,” Langford said.
But as Langford admits, real life doesn’t always make for the most exciting television.
“We’re often amused by how television shows portray our technology,” Langford said. He added that officers from the department had been called upon to serve as consultants in the past to offer their expertise, but this was sometimes ignored for “the most dramatic effect”.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY.Contact him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wild video of car stuck in building made for ‘Chicago Fire’: Watch