Who Are the Real Firefighters in Chicago Fire?

Dick Wolf's television empire continues to grow each year, with his Law & Order and Chicago franchises still enjoying immense popularity. And Chicago Fire is definitely one of the veteran producer's most popular projects, as the idea of following the personal and professional lives of firefighters instantly clicked with an audience hungry for compelling weekly cases and steamy drama.

The series has proven to be quite realistic in its depiction of firefighting duties, so fans have been wondering if real firefighters are working on the show.

The short answer to this is — yes, there was at least one prominent firefighter involved in the project. And we know him for portraying one of the characters too!

Back in 2012, prior to filming Chicago Fire, all of the main cast members were forced to complete a special firefighting training program where they had to put on gear, pry open doors, and even go through a real fire scenario to get a better understanding of the characters they were about to play.

But even the best training course can't compare to real-life firefighting experience, and Dick Wolf decided to hire a special person to oversee the production — Steve Chikerotis, who served as the show's technical advisor and also played Steve Walker, a character based on himself.

Chikerotis is one of the most famous firefighters in the country, who has worked as an assistant district chief in Chicago and even published a book about his time on the job.

After retiring from active duty, Steve joined the team of Chicago Fire, creating interesting fire scenarios for the show and making sure the whole action is realistic. Thanks to his efforts, even real firefighters praise the series for its depiction of this heroic profession, never making its characters look like superhumans but presenting them as believable human beings.

While Steve has served as a consulting producer since 2020, his influence on the project is still felt, as he has managed to train many great professionals to oversee the technical aspects of the show after his retirement. Fans praise Dick Wolf for taking the time to find just the right people to assist in creating his shows, as the end result is simply wonderful!