View Full Version : The One Aspect Of Chicago Fire That Is Totally Unrealistic


TMC
02-04-2022, 09:12 PM
https://www.thelist.com/756859/the-one-aspect-of-chicago-fire-that-is-totally-unrealistic/

The design for the breathing apparatus that the firefighters wear is way off

The attention to detail in "Chicago Fire" is exquisite. On top of the extensive training that the cast goes through, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet (https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/chicago-fire-do-the-actors-really-go-through-firefighter-training.html/), the firefighting series regularly features actual equipment used by real firefighters to make it as believable as possible. In April 2018, fire safety brand 3M Scott Fire & Safety tweeted (https://twitter.com/3mscott/status/990939414925840384?lang=en) a shoutout to actor Joe Minoso's character Joe Cruz for wearing the Air-Pak X3 Pro SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus), which are used to supply firefighters with breathable air.

However, there are times where the gear used in the show makes the series seem unrealistic, namely the same Scott Air-Pak (https://www.looper.com/723647/the-subtle-detail-in-chicago-fire-that-makes-the-show-completely-unrealistic/) used by the firefighters in the show. Veteran firefighters took to the Firehouse (https://forums.firehouse.com/forum/firefighting/firefighters-forum/111765-tv-show-chicago-fire) forum to share their skepticism over the SCBA. One user questioned if the face piece was purely cosmetic, writing, "So what is with the funky face pieces on the Scott masks? Is this a new mask I haven't seen yet or something custom made for the show so you can see the actor's face?" Another user surmised that the masks seemed standard, but may have been missing the nose cup.

Photoman001
03-22-2023, 12:20 PM
lol trust me THAT is not the "only" unrealistic part of Chicago Fire. As a veteran Firefighter I cringe every time they use Carbon Dioxide fire extinguishers on outside fires. Like using 2 of them on a car wreck and fire that was "in danger of exploding" while they have a rig there with 1000 gallons of WATER! CO2 works by replacing air around a fire and so the fire can no longer 'breathe' and it goes out. So doing that in the OPEN AIR surrounded by 'air' is just a waste of time and totally the wrong thing to use. IE if you are going to use an Extinguisher on a car then use a Dry powder which WILL actually put it out!