20th Television's silence speaks volumes, but sources insist 9-1-1 remains one of the safest sets despite the broadcast schedule crunch.
Insiders whisper that mechanics were hastily adjusted after a stunt double's sprain, leading directly to Stark rolling his ankle on a co-star.
Stark broke his ankle in late August requiring surgery; another performer suffered a broken rib and compressed lung in the last two weeks.
Four injuries in a single season isn't just bad luck; it's a flashing red warning that broadcast schedules are pushing stunt safety to the brink.
The drama isn't just on screen for ABC’s 9-1-1. A shocking cluster of four stunt-related injuries during the filming of Season 10 has put the production’s safety protocols under intense scrutiny again. Deadline reports that four performers, including series star Oliver Stark, have sustained injuries to varying degrees in recent months.
While the incidents are reportedly not directly connected, the unfortunate timing highlights the inherent dangers of executing high-octane stunts on a rigid broadcast network schedule. Stark’s injury occurred in late August when he broke his ankle while performing a stunt, requiring surgery. Sources close to the production reveal that the stunt involved a firefighter swinging from a car over a set piece to a ladder truck.
Crucially, during rehearsals, a stunt double sprained an ankle performing the same maneuver but declined medical treatment, meaning no official injury report was submitted. After the double was hurt, the mechanics of the stunt were adjusted, yet Stark still rolled his ankle over another performer in the scene. Production reportedly continued without delay, and Stark has since returned to work.
The injury parade didn't stop with the actor. In the weeks following Stark’s accident, a stunt person injured their arm on jagged metal on set, requiring a hospital visit and stitches. More recently, within the last two weeks, another stunt performer was hospitalized after an “awkward landing” on a platform simulating a ground collapse.
This incident resulted in a broken rib and a minor compressed lung. Sources described the hospital trip as “precautionary,” but it remains unclear if this performer has returned to the set. Despite the mounting injuries, a spokesperson for 20th Television declined to comment, maintaining the studio's tight-lipped approach to safety inquiries.
All SAG-AFTRA signatories, including Disney-owned 20th Television, are required to follow strict on-set safety protocols. Stunt coordinators must lead preparations, and first assistant directors are mandated to hold safety meetings before any stunt work. However, the concentration of injuries on a single season raises questions about whether the “industry-wide safety committee” guidelines are being fully respected amidst production pressures.
This isn't the first time 9-1-1 has faced safety headlines. Two years ago, a crew member died from a cardiac event after a 14-hour workday caused by stunt complications. Yet, a production source previously told Deadline that 9-1-1 was “one of the safest” sets they had worked on.
With four new injuries in Season 10, that claim is now being stress-tested by reality. The tension between ambitious stunt sequences and the unforgiving broadcast schedule is clearly taking a physical toll on the cast and crew.
