HEATHER CASEY
Contributing Writer

Real-life firefighter Mike Stoker had no intention of getting involved in television; it was only by chance that he had previously acquired the fateful Screen Actors Guild card that qualified him for "Emergency!"

Photo Courtesy John McMahon Mike (front) and the other stars of EMERGENCY! talk with fans during Monday's event

He was at an LA beach with his motorcycle one day when he was about 25, watching the filming of a commercial, when the director invited him to join the beautiful bikini-clad girl on the set. Before he knew it he was in the commercial and signing a contract with a Hollywood modeling agency.

Although he then spent a little time in this line of work, Stoker wasn't interested when he later heard about a television show looking for a firefighter with a Guild card.

"I wasn't interested. I didn't even see the notice at first," Stoker said. After some prodding from fire Capt. Jim Page, however, he finally agreed to check it out.

"I went down, I tried out, and the rest is history," Stoker said.

The reason he hardly appears in some episodes is because he was often on duty and had to give up scenes to respond to his own station.

Although it was usually fun getting attention from fans, Stoker said, his television fame and rapid promotion to captain sometimes caused jealousy and rumors among some real firefighters.

Some of Stoker's favorite memories of filming "Emergency!" involve the special effects and excitement. In one episode, for example, with a large house fire at night in Long Beach, Calif., the actors were told to pull the fire truck up much closer to the blaze than they would have in real life, in front of thousands of onlookers.

Although the show was given a lot of dramatic license to keep things exciting, it also put a lot of effort into staying realistic, Stoker said.

Some of the biggest effects Stoker sees from the show are changes in the role and image of firefighters. The show really spread the idea of firefighters as medical personnel, raised the image of firefighters, and raised the quality of firefighters "from shooting water to saving lives," Stoker said.

Stoker has spent 30 years as a firefighter, the last 18 as a captain. After the "Emergency!" days, "My main interests were the fire department and raising kids," Stoker said. He coached his three kids ( all young adults now) through soccer, baseball and basketball, and is now retired and has homes in Mexico and Montana.