Rescue Heroes

Rescue Heroes was initially a line of toys from Fisher-Price introduced in 1997. Rescue Heroes depicts various rescue personnel and their equipment. In 1999 an animated television series of the same name debuted. A film titled Rescue Heroes: The Movie was released in 2003, and it was based on the TV series.

Background

Rescue Heroes is a fictional international organization that, along with local authorities, helps rescue people and animals from both natural and man-made disasters.

Characters

Main Characters

These are the main characters featured in the TV series and film.

• Billy Blazes - Billy, a firefighter, is the leader of the Rescue Heroes who helped choose the other members of the team.^[1] In the animated series, he has a younger brother named Bobby, as well as a father. Billy had an uneasy relationship with his father. This was because Bobby chose to become a firefighter like Billy, instead of being a construction worker like him^[2] It was revealed in the episode "Flashback To Danger" that Billy was chosen to be a Rescue Hero after saving a group of children trapped in a carnival ride that was set ablaze. It was revealed in the episode "Storm Of The Century, Part One" that Billy's family is from Quebec.
• Wendy Waters - Wendy, a firefighter, is effectively the second in command. Her father, Warren, is a Rescue Hero who works at a space station. It was through a combination of a news report about a factory being set ablaze and through her father that lead her to trying out for the Rescue Heroes.^[1]
• Jake Justice - Jake, a police officer, became a Rescue Hero when he caught a wanted criminal after a televised car chase that made national headlines.^[1]
• Richmond^[3] "Rocky" Canyon - Rocky, an African American mountain climbing specialist, is the youngest member of the Rescue Heroes. When Billy had once thought about quitting the Rescue Heroes, it was ultimately Rocky, through an audition video, that convinced him to stay, cementing Billy's decision to hire Rocky.^[1] In the episode "Twister" it was revealed that his hometown is in Oklahoma, and that his father had died.
• Ariel Flyer - Ariel, a flight and wildlife specialist of Spanish descent, was once a stunt pilot who had a rival named Avery Ator.^[1] However, Avery's lack of concern for safety has led to Ariel saving them on numerous occasions.
• Jack Hammer - Jack, a construction worker hailing from Texas, was originally a contractor hired to build the Rescue Heroes base of operations, but had saved a fellow construction worker in a crane accident. Because of this, he was given the opportunity to try out for the Rescue Heroes.^[1] Jack has a younger sister named Jill, who is a member of the Texas Fire Brigade.^[4]

Minor Characters

These are the minor characters featured in the TV series and film.

Animals

These are the animal Rescue Heroes featured in the TV series and film.

• Buster (German Shepherd)
• Claude (Cougar)
• Comet (Monkey)
• Mako (Great white shark)
• Nemo (Dolphin)
• Radar (Bat)
• Smokey (Dalmatian)
• Swoops (Bald Eagle)
• Wind Chill (St. Bernard)

Other Rescue Heroes

These are the Rescue Heroes that have been released as figurines only.

Television series

In 1999 a TV series based on the line of toys was released, and it aired until 2002.

The TV series strives to teach proper safety techniques and how to deal with issues such as bullying. Some episodes address safety skills beyond the capability of young children, such as extinguishing a grease fire. At the end of most episodes there would be safety tips, which would then usually conclude with the slogan "Think like a Rescue Hero, think safe."

Hiatus and Return

In 2007, Fisher-Price stopped producing Rescue Heroes products and updating the Rescue Heroes website. However, in 2010, Fisher-Price produced a new collection of figurines under the title Hero World, a brand also shared with Imaginext. Among the collection were characters such as Billy Blazes, Captain Cuffs, Jake Justice, and Hal E. Copter. These figurines are smaller than the original figurines, and are not compatible with previous playsets.

Interactive Games

Rescue Heroes has spawned numerous interactive formats of entertainment, including PC, Sony PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Pixter, Radica Play TV, and Smart Cycle.

References