In a Heartbeat was a Disney Channel Original Series inspired by real life EMT squads whose staff consists of high school students located all over the country. The show follows the lives of several teenagers who volunteer as part-time EMTs while going to school and trying to maintain their lives as normal teenagers. The squad is made up of Hank Beecham (Danso Gordon) who manages playing football with the high school team as well as being the EMT intermediate of the group, Val Lanier (Reagan Pasternak) who is noted for being a good student and cheerleader, Tyler Connell (Shawn Ashmore), a football player and Hank’s best friend, and Jamie Waite (Christopher Ralph), the newest member of the squad initially there not by his own choice but as a result of a new program to help troubled teens get their life together by becoming EMTs. Waite is seen as the rebel of the group. Childrens television series are television programmes designed for and marketed to children, normally aired during the morning and afternoon hours, mainly before and after school. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Shawn Ashmore (born October 7, 1979) is a Canadian film and television actor. ... Reagan Pasternak (born on March 8, 1977 in Toronto, Ontario) is an Canadian actress whose most recent work is her role as Allison in the Sci Fi Pictures original film, Savage Planet. ... Gordon was born in Toronto Canada, and lived in Halifax Nova scotia before moving on to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles. ... Lauren Felice Collins (born August 29, 1986) is a Canadian actress of Jewish heritage. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the American cable TV broadcaster, see ABC Family. ... For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel around the world. ... Disney Channel is known for its original series. ... The Star of Life, a global symbol for medical service EMTs loading an injured skier into an ambulance An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is an emergency responder trained to provide emergency medical services to the critically ill and injured. ... Gordon was born in Toronto Canada, and lived in Halifax Nova scotia before moving on to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles. ... Reagan Pasternak (born on March 8, 1977 in Toronto, Ontario) is an Canadian actress whose most recent work is her role as Allison in the Sci Fi Pictures original film, Savage Planet. ... Shawn Ashmore (born October 7, 1979) is a Canadian film and television actor. ...

Other regulars in the show are Brooke Lanier (Lauren Collins), Val’s 12-year-old sister who volunteers with the squad after school and whose main job consists of managing the paperwork, and Caitie Roth (Jackie Rosenbaum), Val's best friend who is known for her dark clothes and purple-streaked hair. Caitie is also a good friend of Jamie’s. Lauren Felice Collins (born August 29, 1986) is a Canadian actress of Jewish heritage. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In the series pilot Val's father has a heart attack to which Val is one of the responding EMTs. In following episodes this causes her family to lose their previous wealth due to their father's inability to work. During the series' short run, a budding romance was seen between Tyler and Val with such moments as him giving her "his lucky penny" that was from the year she joined the group. Later it is revealed that it was not really his lucky penny, but rather a gesture in an attempt to make her feel better.

The series premiered in 2000. In Canada, the series was shown on the Family Channel while in the US it was shown on the Disney Channel. The show is based on Post 53, a real EMT emergency response program run by high school students in Darien, CT. It is the only organization in the world to have high school students be first-response EMTs. Family Channel, colloquially now known as Family, is a television service in Canada, owned by Astral Media, geared mainly towards kids and younger teenagers. ... For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel around the world. ...

Criticism

The show received some criticism for some of its dramatic contents. It was pulled off the air after one year as Disney Channel began wanting to restructure its image, and come up with new shows to gain more of an audience. It was the first Disney Channel Original Series not to reach 65 episodes. Disney Channel is known for its original series. ...