Rico Priem was shown at the end of 9-1-1's Season 7 finale. The tenth episode of 9-1-1's seventh season, "All Fall Down," ended with a moving tribute to Rico Priem, a grip on set who tragically passed away in May 2024.

He worked two consecutive fourteen-hour days on set, the second of which ended at four in the morning. He got his start in the industry in 1997 as a grip in California, following his dream of becoming an actor; he has since worked on more than 40 projects.

On the set of 9-1-1, he used to work as a technician who sets up the necessary rigging, including dollies and tracks, to support the lighting and cameras.

In the wake of Priem's untimely passing on May 11, there has been a stirring among colleagues in the film and television industry. Tragically, Priem, 66 years old, lost his life in a car accident while returning home after a 14-hour shift on the 9-1-1 set. 

Along with Priem, Ethan Ravens of the Instagram account Production Assistants United addressed Rolling Stone about Priem's passing. The account's goal is to unite Hollywood's production assistants.

"No worse thing that could happen to you at work, or coming home from work" he said, reflecting on Priem's accident. Instagram user Ted Sullivan paid tribute to Priem and included a personal message from the writer in the post's caption.

His resume includes appearances in This is Us, Deadpool, Scandal, Star Trek, CSI, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. One of Priem's coworkers at 9-1-1, Nina Moskol, wrote a long obituary about him and posted it on Facebook.

In honor of Priem's loved ones, he highlighted the importance of "strong unions" to "protect workers from corporate greed" and detailed the challenges faced by those working on long shoots similar to Priem's stories. 

His wife was close to him

Rico Priem was married with his wife. He had three siblings, a niece, two nephews, two grandnieces, a grandnephew, a dog and three cousins.

His wife went so far as to tell his admirers. Actor Rico Priem took his last breathe on August 4, 1957, in Long Island, New York.

Working conditions and long shifts are two of the most important issues being discussed during the present contract negotiations between the IATSE union and various studios. It was a "traumatic loss" for her, she said, adding that she had collaborated with him the day before the accident.