Who is the new Chief of Chicago Fire?
Chicago Fire, which began in 2012, aired the first episode of its 13th season on September 25. Set at Firehouse 51, Chicago Fire focuses on the firefighters and paramedics of Truck 81, Engine 51, Squad 3, and Ambulance 61 and how they serve the city of Chicago while juggling their personal lives. The first of three One Chicago shows, Chicago Fire set the standard for this procedural trio and will likely continue to do so in the upcoming season.
However, Chicago Fire’s 13th season wasn’t without changes. Fan-favorite paramedic Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) left midway through Season 12, and Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), who led the team at Firehouse 51 for all 12 seasons, took on a new role in CFD. Great leaders remain in place at Firehouse 51, including Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), who runs Squad 3; Lieutenant Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), who oversees Truck 81; Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg), who commands Engine 51; and Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith), who is the Paramedic in charge of Ambo 61, but Boden’s departure leaves a vacancy at the district level, and in Season 13, Episode 1, “A Monster in the Field,” viewers finally begin to learn more about who will fill that position.
Wallace Boden started at Chicago Fire as the Fire Chief of Firehouse 51 and eventually became the Deputy District Chief for CFD District 4, which includes 51. After years of working with the team at 51, Boden became a mentor and family member to most. He encouraged Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) to become Captain and supported Severide when he wanted to spend time working for Arson Investigations. It was Boden who first thought Kidd would make a great lieutenant, and he suggested she pursue this path and supported her with everything she needed to start Girls on Fire, her program to recruit young women into the CFD. Boden even walked Kidd down the aisle when she and Severide got married, further cementing their relationship.
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In Season 12, Episode 12, “Under Pressure,” Boden learns that Chief of Emergency Medicine Danya Robinson (Laura Allen), who did nothing but cause trouble for 51 earlier in the season, is pursuing the vacant Deputy Commissioner position. Worried that Robinson would change things for the worse at CFD, Boden ran for the position and, surprisingly, got the job. Season 12, Episode 13, “Never Say Goodbye,” was a beautiful tribute to the character and left room for Boden to return, even if it was just for one episode.
With Boden in charge, District 4 needed a new chief. Dom Pascal, played by Dermot Mulroney, started his career as a firefighter at CFD before moving to Miami. Pascal worked for 27 years and spent 10 years with Miami Fire-Rescue before returning to Chicago, although no one is sure why he returned. At the end of the episode, viewers meet Pascal’s wife, Monica (KaDee Strickland, best known for Private Practice), with whom he seems to have a somewhat strained relationship. It seems part of the reason he’s back is because of his wife, who reprimanded him for working too much in “A Monster in the Field.” She may have let him into their home by the end of the episode, but there’s reason to believe their problems aren’t over.
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Pascal makes an interesting impression on Firehouse 51. Kidd already didn’t like Pascal much simply because he wasn’t Boden, and while Severide and Herrmann do a great job of showing the team how to respect the chain of command, there are still plenty of firefighters who are still unsure about Pascal and some of his changes. (A cell phone in the trash during dinner?! How dare he.) Still, he manages to be somewhat convincing, especially when he rushes into a fire without any extra protection from falling debris — which he demands every member of the team make sure to have — and when he assists Violet and paramedic Lyla Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) when they want to monitor a little girl after a car accident. It’s clear that his presence will be quite divisive for the team, at least at first.
