A public service announcement that spotlights the shortage of volunteer firefighters in Connecticut is up for an Emmy award.
Shot by professional cinematographer and Hebron volunteer firefighter Matthew Troy, “See You Out There” features 85 volunteers from 16 departments across the state. The regional Emmy awards are to be presented on June 15 in Boston. Troy’s spot, done in 30-, 60- and 90-second versions, emphasizes pride in service, the wide range of day jobs that volunteers hold and the variety of tasks they perform during emergencies. Firefighters are shown battling a blaze, peeling the roof from a crashed car and rushing to water and forest rescues.
The scenes, all of which were staged, were shot over three days as part of the Everyday Hero CT recruitment campaign. A Hebron native and New York City-based cinematographer who does mostly commercial work, Troy said the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs hired him using a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Association.