I'm a paramedic who also has had extensive firefighter training. That being said, it took about 5 minutes into the episode before I was laughing and shaking my head "no" as I was overwhelmed with the inaccuracies. Now I understand that it's TV so I know it's not going to be perfect. However I long had my doubts before actually watching it. The first thing that's wrong with it, is that it's on NBC, which means there's a foul language barrier. Anyone who knows real firefighters ESPECIALLY firefighters in Chicago; know that the majority of us can't say more than ten words without swearing or saying something vulgar. So the show pretty much has lost it's realism in the dialog alone. Now I don't argue that you can't make it work, because Third Watch did fine with it for a long time, however the focus wasn't only on firefighters in that show.
Taking that away there's still plenty wrong with this show. Really it's the little things that just build up and make you say "come on!" Now some of it are things only someone on the job would notice, but then there are the obvious. So here are some to name a few: A lot of these guys look like they walked off the cover of a magazine, especially the women. They show one of the ladies after a 24 hour shift and she's all dolled up. A paramedic on the box in Chicago; I'm positive has zero interest in looking all pretty in the morning on the way home!! Are there good looking firefighters and paramedics? Sure but not THAT many. You can have a good show without a bunch of models running around with their shirts off! Lots of the guys have some sort of chin hair. NO FIRE DEPT ON THE PLANET ALLOWS THIS!!! Facial hair interrupts the sealing of the face piece, making it ineffective and even dangerous to wear in a compromised environment.Then it's the lack of focus while responding to calls. Now I'll admit, when you've done this job long enough, certain calls hardly make your heart rate go past 70, but you will NEVER see a guy, on his way to a fire with his feet up, reading the paper...ridiculous! Next, one of the female paramedics is slipping one of the guys some sort of drug, I forget which. If I remember correctly it was a narcotic of some sort. Because of on the job drug abusers in the past, it's nearly impossible to steal drugs from an ambulance without pointing the finger right back at you! So then there are the locker room scenes. Wait I said that wrong, then there are the co-ed locker room scenes. I don't think that needs explaining. Moving on, one of the paramedics in one scene is doing a complicated (and very rare) procedure for whatever reason. They show the little girl's heart rhythm on the monitor even though she doesn't have a single lead on her body. Not a big deal but annoying nonetheless, also if she were that bad off, there'd be more than one paramedic back there at least to set up the non existent IV.
To pick at the actual story. It's painfully predictable and phony. If a fighter died in a fire, you're not gonna see the lieutenant (or anyone for that matter) just rest their head on the ladder as if someone brought then coffee with two sugars as opposed to one. Then the show bounces from character to character not really showing us anything. One guy has a name, that's not really his name, it's confusing what person is assigned to what, considering it's Chicago, the bosses are WAY too young. Especially the guy running the squad. But I digress.
So between all that, the cheesy lines, the sub par acting, and the predictable story lines, I'll say this: Whoever the technical adviser is needs to be fired, because he or she definitely lied about having any kind of background in thus field!! My suggestion: Don't waste your time with this garbage. It'll be gone before you know it. Just like that other show...oh right, "Trauma"!
Taking that away there's still plenty wrong with this show. Really it's the little things that just build up and make you say "come on!" Now some of it are things only someone on the job would notice, but then there are the obvious. So here are some to name a few: A lot of these guys look like they walked off the cover of a magazine, especially the women. They show one of the ladies after a 24 hour shift and she's all dolled up. A paramedic on the box in Chicago; I'm positive has zero interest in looking all pretty in the morning on the way home!! Are there good looking firefighters and paramedics? Sure but not THAT many. You can have a good show without a bunch of models running around with their shirts off! Lots of the guys have some sort of chin hair. NO FIRE DEPT ON THE PLANET ALLOWS THIS!!! Facial hair interrupts the sealing of the face piece, making it ineffective and even dangerous to wear in a compromised environment.Then it's the lack of focus while responding to calls. Now I'll admit, when you've done this job long enough, certain calls hardly make your heart rate go past 70, but you will NEVER see a guy, on his way to a fire with his feet up, reading the paper...ridiculous! Next, one of the female paramedics is slipping one of the guys some sort of drug, I forget which. If I remember correctly it was a narcotic of some sort. Because of on the job drug abusers in the past, it's nearly impossible to steal drugs from an ambulance without pointing the finger right back at you! So then there are the locker room scenes. Wait I said that wrong, then there are the co-ed locker room scenes. I don't think that needs explaining. Moving on, one of the paramedics in one scene is doing a complicated (and very rare) procedure for whatever reason. They show the little girl's heart rhythm on the monitor even though she doesn't have a single lead on her body. Not a big deal but annoying nonetheless, also if she were that bad off, there'd be more than one paramedic back there at least to set up the non existent IV.
To pick at the actual story. It's painfully predictable and phony. If a fighter died in a fire, you're not gonna see the lieutenant (or anyone for that matter) just rest their head on the ladder as if someone brought then coffee with two sugars as opposed to one. Then the show bounces from character to character not really showing us anything. One guy has a name, that's not really his name, it's confusing what person is assigned to what, considering it's Chicago, the bosses are WAY too young. Especially the guy running the squad. But I digress.
So between all that, the cheesy lines, the sub par acting, and the predictable story lines, I'll say this: Whoever the technical adviser is needs to be fired, because he or she definitely lied about having any kind of background in thus field!! My suggestion: Don't waste your time with this garbage. It'll be gone before you know it. Just like that other show...oh right, "Trauma"!