9-1-1 is inspired by a real-life emergency faced by Ryan Murphy that fans don't know about

9-1-1 has been on air for more than seven years now and has kept the audience hooked with its earnest depiction of the challenging situations faced by first responders every day at their jobs.

Many fans do not know that series co-creator Ryan Murphy came up with the idea of making a show about first responders due to a very personal and horrifying life experience. In 2015, his 11-month-old son, Ford, faced serious health issues and stopped breathing one night, after which Murphy immediately called 911.

The officers arrived at his place soon and saved his son’s life. When 9-1-1 premiered in January 2018 on Fox, Murphy revealed that watching the officers work relentlessly inspired him to create a show based on their lives.

Ryan Murphy came up with the idea of creating 9-1-1 after first responders saved his son’s life

Murphy made the revelation at Fox’s Television Critics Association press tour around the premiere of the show in January 2018. Talking about how his infant son stopped breathing one night, the series creator said:

“My son Ford was 11 months old and in the middle of the night stopped breathing. We called 9-1-1, and obviously we were in a panic and doing CPR, and they showed up, and at two in the morning, there were four responders. They were incredibly calm and nurturing, and they brought him back to life.”

Opening up about how he was moved by the first responders’ calmness and caring nature at the time of adversity, Murphy said his son would have lost his life had they not arrived that day:

“They were incredibly calming and nurturing. … I was struck by what great people they were and how strong they were. If they hadn't shown up, I think my son would have died.”

Recalling the entire incident, the creator said the officers took care of Ford and transported him to a hospital. When Ford recovered, the efforts made by the first responders still remained on Murphy’s mind, and he eventually decided to create 9-1-1 to tell their stories:

“My interest in this show came from a very life-or-death situation for my son. I'd really been interested in the lives of [first responders] and how they are forced to show up to be the balance in stressful situations.”

The show’s cast also made special preparations to understand the lives of the responders. Connie Britton, who starred in 9-1-1 Season 1 as dispatcher Abigail "Abby" Clark, spent a few days at the Los Angeles 911 call center to understand the process. She was so overwhelmed with all the pressure at the center that she thought she should not be a part of the show:

“The first day, I was at a loss. I think I announced, ‘I'm not the right actor for the job.’”

Ryan Murphy’s idea and the cast’s hard work have surely paid off as 9-1-1 continues to resonate well with the audience. Every episode of the procedural drama showcases first responders like sergeants, dispatchers, and firefighters dealing with life-and-death situations and saving civilians’ lives. Most of the episodes are based on real-life cases attended by 911 responders.

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After six seasons at Fox, the series moved to ABC in 2024, where it continues to grab eyeballs. The show currently stars Angela Bassett as Athena Grant, Oliver Stark as Buck, Kenneth Choi as Chimney, Aisha Hinds as Hen Wilson, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie Han, Ryan Guzman as Eddie Díaz, and Gavin McHugh as Chris Díaz.

9-1-1 is available to stream on Hulu.

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