The International Ironman Competition is held at Baywatch and Neely sets off a battle of the sexes when she decides to enter the competition.

After rescuing a group of fishermen and tourists from a massive pier fire, Samantha and L.A. fire chief Captain Huntingdon form a rescue firefighting team of six lifeguards and firefighters, called the Search and Rescue Unit, for such conditions. Cody, Neely, Jordan, and Newman try out for the unit and meet their firefighting counterparts. Their skills are tested when the new group of Cody, Neely, and Catalina lifeguard Rick Jenner with firemen Jessica, Clay, and Terry are sent on their first mission to rescue two men in a partially submerged basement of a fire-ravaged building. Meanwhile, Cody asks C.J. to paint his portrait after seeing some of her other paintings. Finally, Mitch has difficulty explaining (and believing) to the Baywatch team his increasingly strange PI work at night when he must catch a man who believes he is a vampire from Baywatch Nights.