Aisha Hinds Instagram – Devastated. Words….ever insufficient…none able to carry the harrowing heartbreak reverberating through our 9-1-1 family. As the industry processes the passing of one of our invaluable and invested individuals—notably loyal, thus lauded and loved for his commitment to his craft and sharing the wisdom he’d gleaned from decades of working in this industry, hearts are heavy navigating feelings of grief and gratitude for the life of Rico Priem. The unsung heroes of our show, any show really, are the scores of crew members whose names seldom move from the back of call sheets to household names though they contribute an immense amount of time, talent, and tenacity to servicing the stories that fill our screens-small and large. Time that seems invisible to the untrained eye, but it is NOT. Our crews are the cornerstone of our community. Their individual effort and areas of expertise create a cumulative effect, ensuring the work we do, the characters we portray lands in the lives of audiences around the world. The crew is integral to the execution of every idea that begins in the minds of creatives becoming long lasting memories and moments that live on in the hearts of humanity. With each passing year, our 9-1-1 cast and crew have undoubtedly become a family. We strive to comfort and care for each other. We aim to welcome visitors with warmth. We hold one another up through hard times, and this certainly qualifies as a profoundly hard time. Rico graced us with his presence and passion, before he passed away in the early morning hours on Saturday, May 11th. It is the hope and the unspoken assumption that when we wrap a days work, we will see each other again to do it all over again the next day. His passing has stilled our hearts and signaled for more conversation and care in that area. In this moment, I want to express deep love for our crew, and give thanks and reverence for the legacy of Rico Priem. Whispering a gentle prayer to the sacred soft spaces within his family’s hearts that ache in his absence.