A firefighter (1st L) introduces firefighting equipment to students at a primary school on the first day of the new semester in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2023. Primary and middle school students in Beijing returned to school for the spring semester on Monday.(Photo: Xinhua)

Chinese drama Fireworks of My Heart has sparked discussions among netizens about the role of emergency workers. The drama was made by director Li Muge and scriptwriter Xu Su based on a novel called Waiting for You in a City by Jiu Yue Xi. 

Fireworks of My Heart tells the story of Song Yan and Xu Qin, who have been good friends since childhood. However, as they grow up, their families see the negative side of their friendship. As a result, Song and Xu are forced to go their separate ways. Ten years pass and they both work hard to realize their dreams: Song becomes a firefighter while Xu becomes a doctor in the Emergency Unit section.

The drama integrates firefighting and medical elements, and combines them with real-life cases to present emergency rescue scenes in various crisis situations such as fires, earthquakes and rainstorms. The producers worked with real firefighters and doctors to get a better sense of situations such as dealing with wreckage in a disaster area or flooded tunnels. Song and Xu meet again during a moment of crisis, allowing viewers to see the hardship of these professions.

Song Yan, who plays the lead role told the Global Times, "I hope to show the audience that every profession has a different side, and that they all silently watch over us," adding that he was attracted by Song Yan's sense of responsibility as a firefighter.

"I thought that firefighters just put out fires, but in fact they do all kinds of things. For instance, firemen are called in to remove hornets' nests and snakes from homes," he said.