Revealing mistake: When Captain Stanley runs into the burning house looking for Johnny, the floor beside the stairs (under the table) is visible behind him, and there is no rug only wall-to-wall carpet, but when Johnny and Toby fall from the stairs, that area of floor is covered in a rug raised up like a platform, covering the crash mat for the stunt, then the rug vanishes when the guys get Johnny and Toby.
School Days - S2-E14
Revealing mistake: While 51's on scene at the traffic accident involving a car that broadsided an ambulance, when Chet opens the back door of the overturned ambulance the license plate reads "99923U" but the "U" is lopsided and pushed to the edge of the plate, which makes it obvious that it's a magnetized letter. It's positioned properly in following shots.
Revealing mistake: After Station 51 reaches the burning house, when Engine 210 rolls up and lays out a supply line, as the camera zooms in to the back of Engine 210, we can see the large, red, rectangular material that is adhered to the engine with the number 210 printed on it.
Revealing mistake: En route to the pick-up truck hanging from the freeway on-ramp, there is a flipped shot of Engine 51 and Squad 51 as they drive under the freeway before the camera pans in towards the car. Some giveaways are the reversed '51' on Engine 51 and the reversed 'road construction ahead' sign.
Revealing mistake: In at least three episodes, which include 'Saddled', 'Peace Pipe' and 'Women', the same corner restaurant/hot dog stand (with a striped orange/white awning and green vinyl bar stools) is featured. That would be fine, if it weren't for the fact that in each episode the street it is located on has a different name and different cross streets. It is obviously a set on the Universal Studios lot.
Revealing mistake: At the construction accident with the trapped man, when Engine 34 rolls up on scene we can see the red vinyl material adhered to the front of the engine, covering its real company number.
Revealing mistake: When Johnny climbs up to the roof to get Sheba down, Johnny has two long shadows, one from the sun and one from the set lighting.
Revealing mistake: When Johnny and Roy are in the storm drain searching for the two missing boys, all the walls have very distinctive water stains and markings, and the same walls and drains keep repeating, no matter the distance they have walked.
Revealing mistake: During the structure fire in the middle of the night, when Roy rescues the little boy and the dog from the burning house, it's too obvious they are a doll and stuffed animal.
Revealing mistake: During the rescue of the man trapped in the submerged car, when 110's Captain hands John and Roy (in the water) the special cave-in gear's air hose, then when he opens the O2 valve and also when he revs up the jaws, we see that The Boat's port side has a taught line tying it off at the stern in the closeups (seen from The Boat's deck) to prevent it moving, but in the long shots there is no line.
Revealing mistake: After Brackett has played the tape of 110's rescue for Roy and Johnny, when they get into the squad, the usually highly reflective chrome surface of the driver's side spotlight has been sprayed with a 'dulling spray', to temporarily dull the finish for this shot.
Dinner Date - S2-E10
Revealing mistake: In episode 2x5, "Peace Pipe", when Brackett gets on the line with Johnny, who's at the scene of the drunk driver's accident, Brackett presses two buttons - the third and fifth, to record the conversation on the tape machine. However, in this episode when Dixie gets on the line with Johnny, while he's with the little girl whose arm is stuck in the pool drain, Dixie presses only one button - the second, to record the conversation.
Answer: It is standard practice to wet down driveways so that they stand out in a long shot.
stiiggy