The series stars Lorne Greene as Battalion Fire Chief Joe Rorchek and his family, some of whom, his elder sons Ted and Chris, serve as firemen under his direct command as part of the Los Angeles Fire Department. In addition, Haley Green, the first female firefighter in the LAFD, is under Rorchek's command and serves with distinction both professionally and as a friend of the Rorcheks. In addition, Joe Rorchek's preteen adopted son, Danny Blake serves as a member of the Firefighter Explorers organization, complete with his own uniform and turnout gear. Although still a child, Danny dreams of joining the family profession and enjoys privileged access to his family's professional activities. As a result, he has numerous adventures of his own armed with a cool head in the face of crisis and considerable fire safety and first aid skills for his age. Despite the danger, the male members of the Rorchek family have the full support of Ann Rorchek, Joe's wife, who is proud of her family's calling. In addition to family drama, the characters have numerous adventures with the various fires and other emergencies that happen in their operating area. The series began with a television movie as Joe Rorchek as an arson investigator who is pursuing a dangerous arsonist who uses firebombs to start serious blazes that Rorchek's sons have to fight. Meanwhile, Green, recently assigned to the Rorcheks' unit, strives to prove herself to skeptical fire fighter Al Martelli. When the series was approved for production, Greene's character was reassigned to command the task force "Station 1", located on the city's waterfront as a more suitable premise for the series. The station is a large one, equipped with not only a varied ground fleet of vehicles including a personal car for Chief Rorchek, but also a helicopter piloted by Chris Rorchek and a fireboatmoored at a dock built into the station. Given that the series was scheduled for early Sunday evening for a family audience, many episodes end with a coda where a cast member addresses the audience about fire safety and first aid.
