# Chicago Fire



## Sublime (Oct 19, 2012)

For those of you who took the time to watch it, how bad was it?

I heard the commercial on Pandora for it which included plenty of stereotypical and cheesy dialogue. Things like 

Q: "How long you been a firefighter"
A: "Since I was born" 

So I have decided not to waste my time. I learned my lesson with the show "Trauma". This one seems to follow the same formula. 

Would still like to hear others thoughts though.


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## abckidsmom (Oct 19, 2012)

Same same.  

It's a stereotypical show, full of safety gaffes and drama for drama's sake.

They lost me when OBVIOUSLY the female firefighters are only on the ambulance.  And then the hot one was gay and they made a joke about it in the first episode.  

Or maybe she wasn't and it was just a rookie joke.  I don't know.  But I decided then that I wasn't going to waste my time with the show.

People who don't know better will love it, because it's very exciting and there are lots of lives saved and such, but it will perpetuate stereotypes and make real medics and firefighters look like incompetent losers when real drama comes up and they can't just miraculously fix every random thing.

/rant.


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## sgc9703 (Oct 19, 2012)

It will never be as good as Emergency!


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## NYMedic828 (Oct 19, 2012)

The show is god awful as far as depicting an accurate example of the modern fire service but never the less it does entertain and I keep watching it. 

Granted the only other thing on at 10 on a wed is South Park.


My favorite show that just started is "Arrow." About the Green Arrow (comic book superhero) great show so far kind of like Batman with a bow/arrow.


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## Handsome Robb (Oct 19, 2012)

You have to remember if they made a TV show about what we really do no one would watch it. 

Is it accurate/correct? No. Is it entertaining? Yes.


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## AtlasFlyer (Oct 19, 2012)

Sadly, media mis-portrayal of a "glamorous" industry isn't limited to the EMS field. Remember "Pan Am" on ABC last year? Yeah... As someone who's been intimately involved in the airline industry for 17 years that show was an abomination.  Yes, the show was set in the 60s, not current times, but it was still inaccurate to a ghastly degree. The aviation message board I help moderate quickly had a 12+ page thread with dissections of all the things that were "wrong". Including the massive use of CGI (which, from a production standpoint was necessary to make the show affordable to produce) which while probably mildly visible to the average person was STARK to us, and as un-lifelike as a blowup doll.

The show was not renewed... no one was surprised.


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## mycrofft (Oct 19, 2012)

It's TV so it has to be true, right?

Ah, eyecandy and pandering to the lowst common denominator and our basest most embarassing secret pleasures. Lke eating all the Almond Roca at once.




Did I just say that?


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## MSPs (Oct 19, 2012)

sgc9703 said:


> It will never be as good as Emergency!



Nothing ever will!


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## exodus (Oct 19, 2012)

I like it... Does anyone watch cop shows for the realism value? No. You dont want to watch work while you're at home. You want to watch something entertaining and funny.  It's BS why Trauma was cancelled, it was a good show and characters were being developed pretty well near the end, but all the blowhards *****ed about it being to unrealistic and protested they would never watch and get tons of people on board with it. So guess what, they cancelled it.  I guess the squeaky wheel truly gets the grease.


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## 74restore (Oct 19, 2012)

To people trained in any type of EMS, the shows a joke. It makes paramedics and firefighters alike look uneducated. I realize its supposed to be a drama, but good lord...


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## NYMedic828 (Oct 19, 2012)

74restore said:


> To people trained in any type of EMS, the shows a joke. It makes paramedics and firefighters alike look uneducated. I realize its supposed to be a drama, but good lord...



We don't need television to make us look undereducated. We've already done that one for ourselves...


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## Achilles (Oct 19, 2012)

74restore said:


> To people trained in any type of EMS, the shows a joke. It makes paramedics and firefighters alike look uneducated. I realize its supposed to be a drama, but good lord...



It you realize it's drama then you should realize its not a documentary thus probably not true.
If they did everything the way it was suppose to be, it wouldn't be much of a tv show.


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## Achilles (Oct 19, 2012)

NYMedic828 said:


> We don't need television to make us look undereducated. We've already done that one for ourselves...



True! but I still chuckled at that


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## mycrofft (Oct 20, 2012)

just show EMS people in a favorable and sympathetic light.

As they do on "Jersey Shore".









Show's don't get cancelled because a bunch of paramedics and EMT's act up, they get cancelled because of industry politics, failure to deliver demograhics to sponsors, or simply not enough people watch anymore. And apparently they DO track TiVo etc.


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## MexDefender (Oct 20, 2012)

I watched the first two episodes, the show made me cringe a bit because it doesn't follow reality but someone already pointed out if they showed EMS in all its glory people would not think are job is so glamorous for the most part. 

I think it lacks in some of the drama department by over/under playing some of the characters and the emotional baggage they have. for normal people it may be a good show, I'm glad I don't know much about COP procedure and what not or else I'd cringe at those shows as well.


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## Trashtruck (Oct 20, 2012)

Sublime said:


> For those of you who took the time to watch it, how bad was it?
> 
> I heard the commercial on Pandora for it which included plenty of stereotypical and cheesy dialogue. Things like
> 
> ...




I think it's hilarious!
It's Hollywood. Leave the poor guys alone. Pericardiocentesis scene. Really?
Oh, and keep driving while I do it. No problem. 
Lets set up a ladder pipe and slide down the hoseline after a structural collapse, mmmmk?

'Doing the same sh*t as doctors at 60mph!' will surely be a quote in one of the episodes...


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## Copper (Oct 20, 2012)

I like plenty of shows that do not follow reality -- that's why I watch them.

This doesn't need to hide behind such an excuse -- it really is just an awful show.


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## titmouse (Oct 24, 2012)

I was told about it and decided to watch it, it was cool for the first 10 minutes as they're running calls but after that the drama started and I decided to get some sleep.


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## titmouse (Oct 24, 2012)

Oh yeah and try starting a line in a moving truck lol


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## Medic Tim (Oct 24, 2012)

titmouse said:


> Oh yeah and try starting a line in a moving truck lol



You can't start a line in a moving truck?


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## titmouse (Oct 24, 2012)

I was just thinking about that episode and they did stop the truck though so retract that statement.


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## Medic Tim (Oct 24, 2012)

titmouse said:


> I was just thinking about that episode and they did stop the truck though so retract that statement.



Are you talking about starting an iv while moving or a pericardiocentesis? It is common some places to do rolling ivs.


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## DeepFreeze (Oct 24, 2012)

I'd be surprised if it is to last more than 1 season. It simply is a re-hash of "Trauma", and NBC's second failed attempt to cash in on the emergency services as entertainment. The show is so cliché from the "dark tortured soul" of Lt, to the scars on the back of the chief, to the paramedic who is takes over the top risks. Bring back Emergency, now that was a show.


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## titmouse (Oct 24, 2012)

Just regular IVs. It would be fine on smooth even surface in moving truck but uneven, bumpy roads.


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## Aidey (Oct 24, 2012)

I do IVs all of the time in the moving ambulance. And not just on the interstate. I think it is far more common to find people who do IVs en route than people who never do IVs en route, or pull over to do them.


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## lightsandsirens5 (Oct 24, 2012)

Medic Tim said:


> You can't start a line in a moving truck?



That's where I start most of mine. Many of them on rutted, washboard, gravel roads.


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## Medic Tim (Oct 24, 2012)

lightsandsirens5 said:


> That's where I start most of mine



As do I.


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## MexDefender (Oct 24, 2012)

I know everyone is a bit upset by this show but think of the bright side of EMS

They are making a US version of this show 
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLcLf0kcrqQ[/YOUTUBE]


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## Refino827 (Oct 24, 2012)

MexDefender said:


> I know everyone is a bit upset by this show but think of the bright side of EMS
> 
> They are making a US version of this show
> [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLcLf0kcrqQ[/YOUTUBE]



That was brilliant, lol. I've gotta check out the UK version seems pretty funny.


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## EMSrush (Oct 24, 2012)

I just saw my first episode a couple of nights ago. It was awful, and makes a mockery out of our profession. It makes Trauma look like a legitimate documentary, in comparison.


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## Handsome Robb (Oct 24, 2012)

titmouse said:


> Just regular IVs. It would be fine on smooth even surface in moving truck but uneven, bumpy roads.



Pulled over to start an EJ the other day partially because I needed help holding her altered, grabby slef down so I could get the line and partially because that's one I'd rather not hit the random bump in the middle of starting it. Other than that most IVs get done in motion, especially if we are a decent ways out from the hospital. Only start a line on scene if I'm going to give meds or I need access before we move.

Another episode tonight. No one has presented a good argument against it other than "god it sucks so bad!!!!!!!!" so I'll continue to watch it


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## Jon (Oct 24, 2012)

It's pretty bad. I've heard a rumor it will get better, though.


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## Achilles (Oct 24, 2012)

I heard the word C-collar!


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## Bullets (Oct 24, 2012)

Just watched brunette medic palpate a patients carotid and diagnosed vfib...


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## DrParasite (Oct 24, 2012)

Bullets said:


> Just watched brunette medic palpate a patients carotid and diagnosed vfib...


that's totally realistic.... I witnessed a NYC paramedic (working as an EMT in NJ) diagnose afib by palpating a patient's wrist..... sad....:huh:

btw, he never was offered a job as a medic for the hospital based EMS system that he was working for


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## emsred23 (Oct 25, 2012)

I'm not gonna say i dont yell at the tv when i see something stupid.. but i keep watching purely to laugh. however.... we did have a lady tell us if we didnt give her morphine "like they did on that new tv show" she would rerport us for "mal practice"...... i assume shes referring to the medic passing out meds like candy to the fd. thats's a little extreme i think


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## fast65 (Oct 25, 2012)

lightsandsirens5 said:


> That's where I start most of mine. Many of them on rutted, washboard, gravel roads.



Same here, it's not uncommon for me to start a line while heading down an old logging road. 

As far as the original topic. I watched the first episode, and found it to be on par with my expectations. It was pretty inaccurate, grossly dramatic, and far too sexy (yes, I just said too sexy). Basically, it's the typical Hollywood depiction of emergency services.


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## hogwiley (Oct 26, 2012)

I did just happen to see part of Chicago fire by chance, and it was pretty bad. I saw a scene where a kid was trapped in a car wreck, and in order to see the side of the kids head to tell if it was injured or not, the Paramedic tells the kid to turn her head so she could look. I guess thats one way of clearing c spine.


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## DeepFreeze (Oct 26, 2012)

hogwiley said:


> I did just happen to see part of Chicago fire by chance, and it was pretty bad. I saw a scene where a kid was trapped in a car wreck, and in order to see the side of the kids head to tell if it was injured or not, the Paramedic tells the kid to turn her head so she could look. I guess thats one way of clearing c spine.



I always call the bird for a two car MVA in the middle of a city.


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## DrParasite (Oct 26, 2012)

DeepFreeze said:


> I always call the bird for a two car MVA in the middle of a city.


just like this department?[YOUTUBE]YzYxz_uvtSI[/YOUTUBE]


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## Achilles (Oct 26, 2012)

DrParasite said:


> just like this department?[YOUTUBE]YzYxz_uvtSI[/YOUTUBE]



That group (freeway patrol make some pretty funny videos) same with fireman name and police man perry.


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## DrParasite (Oct 26, 2012)

Achilles said:


> That group (freeway patrol make some pretty funny videos) same with fireman name and police man perry.


I believe it's Jake & Perry.


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## Achilles (Oct 26, 2012)

DrParasite said:


> I believe it's Jake & Perry.



I typed jake but my phone put name


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## Handsome Robb (Oct 27, 2012)

hogwiley said:


> I did just happen to see part of Chicago fire by chance, and it was pretty bad. I saw a scene where a kid was trapped in a car wreck, and in order to see the side of the kids head to tell if it was injured or not, the Paramedic tells the kid to turn her head so she could look. I guess thats one way of clearing c spine.



Normal ROM without pain is part of our c-spine clearance protocol....albeit a few things need to be done before that but for what it's worth it's not uncommon for me to ask my patients to do the exact same thing...

Ill say it again, if it was 100% accurate no one would watch it. In reality our job isn't all that exciting most of the time.


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## JPINFV (Oct 27, 2012)

hogwiley said:


> I did just happen to see part of Chicago fire by chance, and it was pretty bad. I saw a scene where a kid was trapped in a car wreck, and in order to see the side of the kids head to tell if it was injured or not, the Paramedic tells the kid to turn her head so she could look. I guess thats one way of clearing c spine.


 

So... they were applying the Canadian C-Spine Rule?


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## NomadicMedic (Oct 27, 2012)

JPINFV said:


> So... they were applying the Canadian C-Spine Rule?









Canadian C collar?


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## Handsome Robb (Oct 27, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> Canadian C collar?



It's posts like this that make me wish the forum had a "like" button, eh.


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## exodus (Oct 27, 2012)

I'd prefer an upvote button.  But I really do like this show. It's good and entertaining. Not too over the top either.


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## fast65 (Oct 27, 2012)

exodus said:


> I'd prefer an upvote button.  But I really do like this show. It's good and entertaining. Not too over the top either.



I have to agree, an up vote button would be awesome. Then again, I would just end up going on random upvoting sprees.


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## SubiEmt (Oct 27, 2012)

exodus said:


> I'd prefer an upvote button.  But I really do like this show. It's good and entertaining. Not too over the top either.


 +1 Pretty good so far! Been following this and the SOA!


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## Medic Tim (Oct 27, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> canadian c collar?



i love it


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## Ghostnineone (Oct 27, 2012)

I have to admit that there were times I would stop watching "Paramedics" because nothing interesting happens. Which, you know, is okay because that's how it really is since its a documentary show. But sometimes it was just boring. I don't know how medically accurate Untold stories of the ER is but I think I've seen every episode and I'm pretty sure I've seen every episode of Trauma: life in the ER. 

Was third watch any accurate? I used to watch that show as a kid.


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## JPINFV (Oct 27, 2012)

Untold Stories is probably accurate, but I can't get over the cheesiness from the reenacting.


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## Ghostnineone (Oct 27, 2012)

The reenactments are pretty cheesy sometimes. They're much better at re enacting medicine than police work, they had a swat team in one of them for a hospital shooting and it was hilarious to see how cheesy the swat team was acting.


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## Asclepius911 (Oct 28, 2012)

Now I know why I can't ever be a great medic I am not a lesbian who performs pericardiocentesis en route to an ER, or maybe because I never done an amputation while being on morphine? Or maybe because I never put make up on my patient.... I dont think that my experience in EMS is sufficient to work for Chicago fire.... Lol


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## Achilles (Oct 28, 2012)

JPINFV said:


> Untold Stories is probably accurate, but I can't get over the cheesiness from the reenacting.



So Mr. Smith, why did you come into the ER today?:rofl:

Skip to 1:32

http://youtu.be/YV5p6SjZ-Pg


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## dhump4free (Oct 29, 2012)

Achilles said:


> So Mr. Smith, why did you come into the ER today?:rofl:
> 
> Skip to 1:32
> 
> http://youtu.be/YV5p6SjZ-Pg



:rofl::lol::rofl::lol:


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## hogwiley (Oct 29, 2012)

NVRob said:


> Normal ROM without pain is part of our c-spine clearance protocol....albeit a few things need to be done before that but for what it's worth it's not uncommon for me to ask my patients to do the exact same thing...
> 
> Ill say it again, if it was 100% accurate no one would watch it. In reality our job isn't all that exciting most of the time.



Well I would think at least a cursery exam of their neck is performed before asking them to go through ROM. In the show the paramedic immediately yelled at the kid through the closed passenger window to turn her head all the way to the side so she could see her the side of her head.

Granted I understand its only entertainment, but the only show of this kind I ever watched before was reruns of the old 70s show EMERGENCY!, and they seemed to get things pretty much right. I read the two lead actors in the show actually went through Paramedic school prior to the first episode. By comparison I doubt the actors of this new show even know CPR.


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## emt509 (Oct 30, 2012)

It was alright, but fake. Just another drama...


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## tsktsk (Nov 1, 2012)

It's pretty disappointing considering **** Wolfe is the producer


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## 11569150 (Nov 2, 2012)

Was able to tolerate Rescue Me thanks to its generally dark and sadistic sense of humor.  Not sure I'll be able to say the same for Chicago Fire and I don't think I'll even bother trying thanks to all the lovely reviews on this thread.  Thanks for stopping me from needlessly killing a few extra braincells!


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## SarahAus (Nov 2, 2012)

I was so bummed when Trauma was cancelled.  Mostly because I was an extra on it, and had so much fun 

I got through maybe 15 minutes of Chicago Fire and had to turn it off.  I'm sure it'd be fine if I knew nothing about the industry.


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## medic417 (Nov 3, 2012)

Has to be the most accurate depiction of the fire service that there ever has been.  At times I think it is a reality show rather than fiction.


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## Jon (Nov 3, 2012)

medic417 said:


> Has to be the most accurate depiction of the fire service that there ever has been.  At times I think it is a reality show rather than fiction.



Hey - you forgot to use the Sarcasm font. I almost thought you were serious.


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## medic417 (Nov 3, 2012)

Jon said:


> Hey - you forgot to use the Sarcasm font. I almost thought you were serious.



You mean the fire stations in your area aren't just like these?  I mean this is gotta be big brother like reality TV.


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## mycrofft (Nov 7, 2012)

Saw the pilot. An OK soap opera with echoes of Backdraft and other movies. Those guys are sure hot to go into buildings and vehicles without charged handlines, it takes forever to get handlines charged, and searching on top of an uncontrolled or attacked fire is suggested procedure. Still, there was a little bit of nostalgia at seeing them manually pressing door opening buttons and climbing aboard....but it is to firefighting and EMS as Grey's Anatomy is to medicine.Ptooey.


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## mycrofft (Nov 23, 2012)

*OK my wife watched it and I was listening...*



mycrofft said:


> It's TV so it has to be true, right?
> 
> Ah, eyecandy and pandering to the lowst common denominator and our basest most embarassing secret pleasures. Lke eating all the Almond Roca at once.
> 
> ...



Yes, full of technical gaffes and such, but I recognize some of the personality quirks and themes ("Chain O' Lakes!"). Hey, they actually showed a smoke-"filled" room on a TV fire drama (usually they are in smoke-free fires). Soon it will go the route of Grey's Anatomy (fantastic soap opera), but I'm enjoying the characters and the occasionally true notes they hit.

Just don't let the probies, er, candidates see it and pick up their "safety" procedures, like searching above fires alone and without a charged line even on the ground. (MEMO: need smiley face for gritting teeth)


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## Obstructions (Nov 24, 2012)

Lol @ paramedic pericardiocentesis w/o ultrasound or any other visualization.

She was hot though.


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## Handsome Robb (Nov 25, 2012)

Obstructions said:


> Lol @ paramedic pericardiocentesis w/o ultrasound or any other visualization.
> 
> She was hot though.



Our flight medics and RNs do it without ultrasound guidance...not that it happens all that often.


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## NomadicMedic (Nov 25, 2012)

NVRob said:


> Our flight medics and RNs do it without ultrasound guidance...not that it happens all that often.



And it's taught as a Washington paramedic skill... Or at least it was in my class.


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## NYMedic828 (Nov 25, 2012)

Obstructions said:


> Lol @ paramedic pericardiocentesis w/o ultrasound or any other visualization.
> 
> She was hot though.



You can do it without ultrasound.

Veneficus said a nifty trick is to watch the ECG as you insert the needle. If you get ectopy it means you've hit the myocardium.

I think you insert the needle at a 45 towards the... Right shoulder? Idk I'm just trying to seem smart when we all know I'm not.


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## Amberlamps916 (Nov 25, 2012)

This show is ridiculous. It makes Third Watch look like the holy grail of EMS shows.


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## NYMedic828 (Dec 13, 2012)

Just noticed that the two EMS girls wear vests that say EMT. They have some seriously progressive EMT scope of practice over there in Chicago if thats the case...

They also diagnosed a firefighter who suffered an otherwise fatal inhalation burn from an explosion with COPD... He was diagnosed with acute chronic disease... Mind you, his face sustained no injury in the blast...


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## Achilles (Dec 13, 2012)

I was surprised they didn't no what COPD was :wacko:


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## Aprz (Dec 13, 2012)

Achilles said:


> So Mr. Smith, why did you come into the ER today?:rofl:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV5p6SjZ-Pg&feature=youtu.be#t=1m32s


Fixed that for you.


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## Medic Tim (Dec 13, 2012)

NYMedic828 said:


> Just noticed that the two EMS girls wear vests that say EMT. They have some seriously progressive EMT scope of practice over there in Chicago if thats the case...
> 
> They also diagnosed a firefighter who suffered an otherwise fatal inhalation burn from an explosion with COPD... He was diagnosed with acute chronic disease... Mind you, his face sustained no injury in the blast...



Their patches say paramedic.


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## Handsome Robb (Dec 13, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> And it's taught as a Washington paramedic skill... Or at least it was in my class.



Same here, I was also taught to and was lucky enough to place a chest tube on a cadaver and was tested on it. Also got to assist a surgeon with one in te ER during clinicals. 

With that said, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it without someone their looking over my shoulder. 

No, we don't have chest tubes in our scope where I work but we were still taught to do it. Also did a decent amount on chest tube maintenance, probably once a week ill do an ICU to ICU transfer with a vented pt with uni/bilateral chest tubes. No CCT service here unless they put a flight crew on a ground unit.


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## JPINFV (Dec 13, 2012)

NYMedic828 said:


> Just noticed that the two EMS girls wear vests that say EMT. They have some seriously progressive EMT scope of practice over there in Chicago if thats the case...
> 
> They also diagnosed a firefighter who suffered an otherwise fatal inhalation burn from an explosion with COPD... He was diagnosed with acute chronic disease... Mind you, his face sustained no injury in the blast...




Could be a writing foul up. Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive airways disease is an official (ICD-9) diagnosis. Additionally, some diseases like CHF can have diagnosis terms like "acute on chronic heart failure" for acute exacerbations of chronic heart failure.


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## NYMedic828 (Dec 13, 2012)

JPINFV said:


> Could be a writing foul up. Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive airways disease is an official (ICD-9) diagnosis. Additionally, some diseases like CHF can have diagnosis terms like "acute on chronic heart failure" for acute exacerbations of chronic heart failure.



I'm not saying he can't have an acute exacerbation of a chronic illness but they literally gave him a new diagnosis of COPD on the sole basis of suffering a severe inhalation burn hours earlier.


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## Handsome Robb (Dec 13, 2012)

NYMedic828 said:


> I'm not saying he can't have an acute exacerbation of a chronic illness but they literally gave him a new diagnosis of COPD on the sole basis of suffering a severe inhalation burn hours earlier.



I just saw that. Kinda odd. 

No tube or anything for his airway burns either, just a NRB. 

I've said it a million times and I'll keep saying it, if they made it realistic no one would watch it because, lets be honest, or job can get pretty tedious, boring, routine, whatever word you want to use to describe it rather than exciting. 

The backstory is pretty interesting so I'll keep watching it, just like I watched Trauma and still will watch since my mom decided to buy me the entire season. Plus the girls aren't bad to look at either


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