On set with Station 19: The significance of stuffed animals on the show
What is the turnout room? Within the world of firefighters, it is one of the most important places they go when an emergency strikes. It’s where uniforms and gear are stored, and in general where some of these men and women have to prepare for the worst.
On the upcoming Grey’s Anatomy spin-off Station 19 premiering on Thursday night you’ll see the turnout room in action, and there is one little facet off it that was interesting to us the moment that CarterMatt walked into the room on set this week: Seeing the little stuffed animals perched atop several different uniforms. While it did bring a nice touch of cuteness to the room (you can see our photo of it below via Instagram), there is an added reason as to why they are there: In the case of an emergency involving children, they can serve as a source of comfort during a trying time.
Speaking to CarterMatt about this on set, cast member Barrett Doss (who plays Victoria “Vic” Hughes) had the following to say:
“Most firefighters have a stuffed animal in their kit — it’s in your doctor bag, so if you go on a call and there’s a child there who potentially could have lost all of their things, all of their belongings in the fire, you have something to give them so that they feel comfortable and safe.
“I of course [first] came in and [saw my station] and was like ‘of course Vic has a stuffed animal’ and when you watch the show you can probably understand (laughs). But then I realized that everyone else had one too, and I had to find out the answer to that.”
Jason George, who is bringing Ben Warren over to the series following his time on Grey’s Anatomy, added that this helps to further establish the series’ emotional undercurrent:
“Firefighting, as physical as it is, there is also a mental piece and an emotional piece. That’s the emotional piece. They may say you on their worst day ever, they may have lost everything, and you have to find a way to make them feel human again.”
You will get a chance to see these stuffed animals, and many other human elements of these brave fictional firefighters, when Station 19 officially premieres on ABC Thursday.