List of Chicago Fire characters

This is a list of fictional characters in the television series Chicago Fire. The article deals with the series' main, recurring, and minor characters.

Main characters

Matthew Casey

Kelly Severide

Gabriela Dawson

Gabriela Dawson
First appearance	Pilot (episode 1.01)
Portrayed by	Monica Raymund
Information
Nickname(s)	Gabby
Occupation	Paramedic/Firefighter, CFD Owner of Molly's
Family	Antonio Dawson (brother) Eva Dawson (niece) Diego Dawson (nephew) Louie Thompson (foster son)
Significant other(s)	Matthew Casey (fiancé) Peter Mills (ex-boyfriend) Jay Halstead (fling)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Truck 81 (Season 3-season 5) OFI (S4, temporary) Ambulance 61 (S1-2) 5-present
Rank	Firefighter (Season 4) Firefighter Candidate (Season 3) Paramedic in Charge (Seasons 1-2)

Portrayed by Monica Raymund

Gabriela "Gabby" Dawson (Season 1– ) is one of the few females at Firehouse 51 and was introduced as the Paramedic in Charge of Ambulance 61. Dawson has recently found herself in trouble for leaping before she looks on various calls, which leads to her being written up several times. She was partnered with Leslie Shay for much of the first two seasons and they shared a close friendship. Both were well-liked by the all-male crew at 51, who are all very protective of them. She transfers to Truck 81 in Season 3 after passing firefighter training. In Season 4, with the announcement of her pregnancy, she was transferred to the Office of Fire Investigation (OFI) to work as an arson investigator.^[1]

Off-duty, she runs Molly's, a small bar jointly owned by her, Otis and Herrmann. The bar is also popular with her brother's colleagues from the 21st District. She is usually in charge of the food and beverage aspects, while Otis and Herrmann deal with the business and marketing aspects. Not long after Molly's opens, Dawson befriends Jay, who was a regular customer at Molly's, but breaks up with him after finding out that he was a "spy" for Arthur, a mobster-cum-landlord who repeatedly harassed them. She threatens to call the cops, only to find out that Jay was actually undercover cop Detective Jay Halstead. Halstead eventually arrests Arthur and Molly's remains open.

The younger sister of Detective Antonio Dawson, a main character in spin-off Chicago P.D., Gabby is well-known for being able to hold her own in a largely male-dominated occupation and an all-male firehouse; she and Shay were the only women at 51 until Brett was assigned to Ambulance 61 in Season 3.

Dawson shares a close friendship with long-time colleague Matthew Casey even though they were each in relationships with different people. Later, she and the new Candidate Peter Mills bond over their mutual love for cooking and begin a relationship in secret. When their relationship is brought to light, Casey seems to be jealous and pulls rank to keep them apart at work. She later discovers that Boden had had an affair with Mills's mother, and she keeps this knowledge from him. When he finds out that she had known about it and that she still has feelings for Casey, he ends their relationship but they remain mutual friends. She had a brief relationship with Detective Jay Halstead at the beginning of Season 2 but they mutually part ways. Following Casey's near-death accident in the Season 2 episode "Not Like This", Dawson and Casey start a very serious romantic relationship and Casey proposes to her.^[2] She later is a Candidate in the Fire Academy. She fails her physical exam by several seconds, after injuring her ankle. In season 3, she has passed the Fire Academy. However, her relationship with Casey poses a problem due to fraternization rules and she is initially assigned to Firehouse 105 in Austin under Casey's nemesis Lieutenant Welch. Welch was against her assignment to his truck company due to a past bad experience with a female firefighter. He fills the spot and she is assigned as the Candidate on Truck 81, under Herrmann's supervision. During her first few weeks on the job, Casey is extra protective of her, much to Herrmann's frustration, but she eventually settles in. In season 4, she suffers a miscarriage.^[3] Her return to duty coincided with Chief Riddle's quest to oust and make an example of Chief Boden so that he can make Fire Commissioner.^[4]

In season 5 Dawson decides to foster Louie, the child of one of their victims, and the decision put her at odds with Casey, who had doubts about having a child in their lives. Casey moves back in with her again and accepts Louie in their "family". After a close call involving both her and Casey, Dawson begins to consider the fact that if both of them remain at Truck 81 there was a possibility Louie could be orphaned. She decides to return to Ambulance 61 after the spot opened up.

Sylvie Brett

Sylvie Brett
First appearance	"Always" (3.01)
Portrayed by	Kara Killmer
Information
Significant other(s)	Harrison (ex-fiancé) Joe Cruz (ex-boyfriend) Jimmy Borelli (Former crush) Sean Roman (one night stand) Antonio Dawson (boyfriend)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Ambulance 61
Rank	Paramedic (season 3) Paramedic in charge (season 4-present)

Portrayed by Kara Killmer

Paramedic Sylvie Brett (Season 3– ) joined Ambulance 61 following Shay's death. Initially 51 was not enthusiastic about her coming in as most of the crew had known and worked with Shay for a long time and were still getting over her death. She shares an apartment with Gabby Dawson. Later in Season 3, Jessica "Chili" Chilton replaces Dawson as the new Paramedic in Charge (PIC) following Dawson's transfer to Truck 81 and they strike up a friendship. In mid-Season 4, Chili leaves to enter an alcohol rehab program and Brett becomes the new PIC.

Brett is a small-Midwestern-town girl from Indiana and is a "runaway bride" who goes "up I-65 to Chicago" to escape her ex-fiancée Harrison after their engagement fell apart. Initially she has difficulty adjusting to city life due to her naivete, as shown by the fact that she leaves cash out on the table with the windows open and rented an apartment in a neighborhood known for crime because the rent was cheap.

She briefly dated Joe Cruz from Truck 81. She appears to have a romantic interest in Officer Sean Roman from Chicago P.D. as they share a kiss in the season 3 finale of Chicago Fire. In season 4 Brett reveals her feelings for Jimmy Borelli.

Wallace Boden

Wallace Boden
First appearance	Pilot (episode 1.01)
Portrayed by	Eamonn Walker
Information
Nickname(s)	Wally
Family	Wallace Boden, Sr. (father, deceased)
Spouse(s)	Unnamed ex-wife Sondra Sherman (ex-wife) Donna Robbins (wife)
Children	Jimmy (stepson) Terrance Boden (son)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Battalion 25
Years of service	1970s – Present
Rank	Chief

Portrayed by Eamonn Walker

Chief Wallace Boden (Season 1– ) is in charge of Battalion 25 stationed at Firehouse 51. He is a scarred veteran of the fire department and served with Benny Severide and Henry Mills, the fathers of his subordinates, Kelly Severide and Peter Mills, respectively. Chief Boden has unwavering dedication to the firefighters under him and has earned their loyalty and respect. He will go through great lengths to protect the integrity of the firehouse and his men, even if it means having to antagonize them by disciplining them. His career was threatened after a feud with Gail McLeod when she tried to overthrow him and install his former colleague Benny Severide as the chief of Battalion 25. Boden refuses to give up his house and fights for it. Later she tries to "justify" the closing due to an incident at a call where the victim had to be cut out of a $40,000 trash compactor. McLeod is eventually removed and Firehouse 51 remained open. Despite his serious exterior, he is open to advice from his men, particularly regarding his personal life; for example, he asks Herrmann, who has five children, for tips on how to deal with his pregnant wife Donna and infant son and Mills for some insight while he was dating Donna. He also views his firefighters as his extended family, especially his two lieutenants, Matt Casey and Kelly Severide, who view him as a mentor and fatherly figure at 51.

Boden is said to have been divorced twice and has a stepson by his estranged second ex-wife. In season 2, he marries Donna Robbins, an elementary school teacher, in a small ceremony at the firehouse. He had feelings for her for some time but was only convinced to propose to her after she tells him that she was pregnant and with the encouragement of his firefighters. They have a son Terence who was born in Squad 3's truck en route to the hospital.

Boden's father Wallace Sr. (Richard Roundtree) lives in Orlando, Florida. In the episode "Ambush Predator", Boden finds out that his father has stage four cancer and was given four months to live. Wallace Sr. peacefully passes away at his son and daughter-in-law's home at the end of the episode "Call It Paradise".

Christopher Herrmann

Christopher Herrmann
First appearance	CF: Pilot (episode 1.01) CPD: "Stepping Stone" (episode 1.01)
Portrayed by	David Eigenberg
Information
Occupation	Firefighter, CFD Owner of Molly's
Family	Larry Herrmann (older brother)
Spouse(s)	Cindy Herrmann
Children	Lee Henry (son) Luke (son) Unnamed son Annabelle(daughter) Kenny James (son)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Truck 81
Years of service	1990s–present
Rank	Firefighter Acting Lieutenant

Portrayed by David Eigenberg

Firefighter Christopher Herrmann (Season 1– ) is one of the senior firefighters of Truck 81. After Boden, he is the most experienced firefighter at 51, having served for nearly two decades. He passed the Lieutenant's test during season 2 episode "Virgin Skin" but has yet to receive his new assignment due to one of Boden's superiors having a grudge against Herrmann over an investment gone wrong. As of season 3, he is still waiting for a spot to open up so he can be promoted. He is generally considered Casey's de facto right-hand man on the job by the rest of the truck company,^[3] as shown by the fact that he is made Acting Lieutenant whenever Casey is off-duty or unavailable and also oversees Candidates assigned to Truck 81. Casey once described him as "the heart and soul" of Firehouse 51.^[5]

Outside his job, Herrmann was a self-described "day trader". There is a running gag in the show about how Herrmann would come up with ideas to solve his various problems and they would often backfire or go completely wrong. His sharp instincts on the job are in stark contrast to those when he is not at the firehouse, which include taking on several "get rich quick" schemes that have left him financially precarious, but had seemed to have finally made a good investment opening "Molly's Bar" along with Dawson and Otis, after putting out a fire at the location and buying it out. Molly's was nearly another of his failed investments as paperwork mishaps, building code issues and competition from a large sports bar located across the street threatens closure. In season 1, one of his investments goes bad and he loses his home to foreclosure, forcing him and his family to move in with the in-laws for several months. In season 4, he attempts to run a rude and condescending couple out of town, after they sued Molly's for "breaching" the city's noise limits, by hosting karaoake night at Molly's and belting out the chorus of "Don't You (Forget About Me)" over the microphone.^[1]

At the start of season 1, Herrmann and his wife Cindy have three sons and a daughter. In season 4 he stated that they have been married for twenty two years.^[6] Cindy had suffered a miscarriage before their first child.^[3] Their fifth child and youngest son was born in the season finale after a difficult birth. Severide and Shay are named as godparents. Herrmann is shown to be a doting father and husband who often speaks of his family. All five children were christened into the Catholic Church.^[2] Because Cindy is Catholic, she does not use birth control, which led to Herrmann's much derided decision to do a vasectomy as his 20th anniversary present to her so that she does not have to go through another pregnancy without compromising her religious beliefs. His co-workers all tried to dissuade him from going through with it but their "concern" backfires against them as Cindy reacted by laughing and hugging her husband.^[7] He is the only member of his truck company with children. As such, he has a soft spot for young victims. In season 3, after learning that a young boy he had rescued died from a fire caused by his negligent alcoholic father, he had to be physically restrained by Casey from hitting the father in a fit of rage. Boden sought his advice many times about dealing with his pregnant wife and infant son. Herrmann is also the first to notice Dawson's strange behavior prior to her and Casey revealing her pregnancy to the crew. In the episode "Path of Destruction" it is stated that he and his family live in the West Lawn area of Chicago.

In season 1, Otis, Herrmann and Dawson buy a bar which they call Molly's. They had been called to a fire there and the owner wanted to sell it and move to Miami. After agreeing to buy it, they discover that a local mobster named Arthur had conned his way into being offered a "minority" stake. Arthur repeatedly harasses the threesome, even nearly setting Dawson on fire before Detective Jay Halstead takes him down and arrests him. After much difficulty, Molly's has become an established bar and is popular with firefighters and cops (it is featured multiple times in spin-offs Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med).

Crossover appearances

• Chicago P.D.: "Stepping Stone" (January 8, 2014)
• Chicago P.D.: "Conventions" (February 26, 2014)
• Chicago P.D.: "Disco Bob" (January 21, 2015)
• Chicago P.D.: "Debts of the Past" (October 21, 2015)

Jessica "Chili" Chilton

Chili
First appearance	CF: "We Called Her Jellybean" (episode 3.21) Med: "Mistaken" (episode 1.04)
Last appearance	CF: "All Hard Parts" (episode 4.14) Med: "Malignant" (episode 1.05)
Portrayed by	Dora Madison
Information
Occupation	Paramedic, CFD
Family	Alissa Martin (sister, deceased)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Ambulance 61
Years of service	?–2016
Rank	Paramedic in Charge

Portrayed by Dora Madison

Jessica "Chili" Chilton (Season 3-4) replaced Peter Mills as the new Paramedic in Charge (PIC) in Season 3 after the latter leaves the CFD. The crew at 51 were initially lukewarm to her as they were still getting over Mills' departure, having warmed up and grown to like to their former Candidate.^[8]

She came from a dysfunctional family; her parents divorced not long after marrying and her mother became a heroin addict and eventually abandoned the family. Her sister Alissa lives in Kansas City and they lost contact.^[4] Prior to being cast on Chicago Fire, Madison actually appeared as Alissa on Chicago P.D. in the episode "Call It Macaroni". Alissa was one of Antonio Dawson's CIs and, using the cash paid by the district for her tip, leaves Chicago to start a new life. After Alissa's death, Chili starts drinking to cope and Borelli and Brett both witness her mood swings. She pushes them away by repeatedly brushing them off. Her drinking begins to affect her job to the point where Chief Boden, backed by his superiors, stages his own intervention and gives her an ultimatum: get help or be fired. At Severide's urging she enters an alcohol rehabilitation program to get help.

Brian "Otis" Zvonecek

Otis
First appearance	CF: Pilot (episode 1.01) CPD: "Stepping Stone" (episode 1.01)
Portrayed by	Yuri Sardarov
Information
Full name	Brian Zvonecek
Nickname(s)	Otis
Occupation	Firefighter, CFD Owner of Molly's
Family	Unnamed father (deceased[9]) Unnamed mother (maiden name Panchulidze[10]) Baba (grandmother) Unnamed sister
Significant other(s)	Katie Nolan (ex-girlfriend)
Relatives	Zoya (cousin) 3 unnamed nephews
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Battalion 25, Truck 81 Battalion 67 (S1, temporary)
Rank	Firefighter (Chauffeur)

Portrayed by Yuri Sardarov

Firefighter / Chauffeur Brian "Otis" Zvonecek (Season 1: recurring; Season 2– ) is a firefighter in Truck 81 and was the most junior at 51 until Peter Mills' arrival. Nicknamed after the eponymous elevator company as he is frequently assigned to elevator or ladder duty, Otis had just recently finished his candidacy^[11] before Mills joined the truck company. He is eager to move up the ranks within the firehouse but often feels overlooked and unappreciated by the rest of his truck company. The other more senior firefighters would pull rank, including Lieutenant Casey, and assign him to do undesirable menial jobs around the firehouse or pull pranks on him. This led him to consider transferring to another firehouse, but he ultimately decided to stay with Truck 81 after Severide pranks him into believing that the rest of the crew had placed a bet on how long he'd last at 51. In Season 2 Otis begins a relationship with Katie, Kelly's half-sister. He roomed with Shay and Severide but moved out after Shay's runaway ex Devin absconded with their money and possessions. Later in the season, he and Cruz decide to room together. As the most tech-savvy of the crew, he becomes something of a cult figure amongst other firefighters due to his podcast, called "Good to be a goat" after Truck 81's mascot, about life as a firefighter. He often comes up with ideas and solutions for everything, much to his colleagues' amusement and derision. As of Season 4, he was "promoted" to chauffeur as Cruz transferred to Squad 3.

In season 1, Otis, Herrmann and Dawson buy a bar which they call Molly's. The bar is also seen on Chicago P.D. as it is popular with firefighters and cops. Otis is shown to be the more business-minded one and often had to remind Herrmann about paperwork for inspections and bills.

Otis is unabashedly proud of his Russian heritage and frequently speaks of his parents and his grandmother ("Baba"), although actor Yuri Sardarov is actually of Georgian and Armenian heritage. It is implied that Otis was either born in the United States or emigrated as a young child. He comes from a large family and every season has seen him introduce or speak of various relatives, with his grandmother even moving in and sleeping in his bunk bed. His father died of leukemia.^[9] Cruz was initially furious with Otis for only telling him the day "Baba", who spoke no English, shows up at their apartment but relents after Otis explains his reasons. In Season 1 there was a running gag where he would tell his colleagues in any joint venture that he had "a cousin" who could come and help. For example, he gets his Russian cousin Zoya a job as a waitress at Molly's but incurs the wrath of business partners Herrmann and Dawson after they find out Zoya barely spoke any English.

In the episode "Kind of a Crazy Idea", Otis is diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and went on medical leave. He returns to the firehouse, and he meets his temporary replacement and is convinced by Herrmann that Connie was trying to replace him permanently. Otis then takes Connie to the theater and she tells him that he always has a place at 51.

Crossover appearances

• Chicago P.D.: "Stepping Stone" (January 8, 2014)
• Chicago P.D.: "The Docks" (May 14, 2014)
• Chicago P.D.: "Life Is Fluid" (September 30, 2015)
• Chicago P.D.: "Natural Born Storyteller" (October 7, 2015)

Joe Cruz

Joe Cruz
First appearance	Pilot (episode 1.01)
Portrayed by	Joe Minoso
Information
Occupation	Firefighter, CFD Dance instructor
Family	Leon Cruz (brother)
Significant other(s)	Zoya (ex-fiancée) Sylvie Brett (ex-girlfriend)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Squad 3 (Season 4-present) Truck 81 (S1-3)
Rank	Firefighter (Chauffeur)

Portrayed by Joe Minoso

Firefighter/Chauffeur Joe Cruz (Season 2–present; recurring Season 1) is the designated chauffeur for Truck 81. In Season 3, he tries out for squad and has transferred to Squad 3 by the Season 4 premiere.

Having grown up in the gangster-infested neighborhoods of Humboldt Park where he was regularly "lulled to sleep by gunfire", many of his peers were gangsters and he is constantly trying to keep his younger brother Leon out of the local gang. He is haunted by a decision that he made on the job related to his brother that later affects his own safety and the safety of his fellow firemen, forcing Casey to discipline him. When Leon realizes what his older brother had done, he vows not to let Joe down and enrolls at a local community college. Sergeant Voight seeks Cruz's permission to send Leon back into the gang, albeit undercover so that the Chicago PD can shut down the gang once and for all. The takedown is successful but came at a cost: Leon took a bullet and eventually left Chicago for his own safety and start a new life away from gang influence.

Cruz is generally well-liked by his co-workers and is often seen cracking jokes and exchanging banter with the rest of the crew. He and Otis often bicker with one another in the lounge during down-time over the most trivial matters. They later share an apartment together, thus referring to their arrangement as "Crotis" (a portmanteau of Cruz and Otis). He had been looking for a roommate after Leon leaves Chicago to start afresh.

At the end of Season 1 into a portion of Season 2 Joe begins a relationship with Zoya, Otis's Russian immigrant cousin and decides he wants to marry her to get her to stay but she feels that is not right so she leaves. In season 3, he begins dating the new paramedic, Sylvie Brett.

Cruz is a dance instructor and teaches zumba when off-duty, a fact which he keeps secret about until Sylvie coincidentally turns up at his zumba class as she lived nearby. He asks her to keep it a secret as he did not want to be ridiculed by his colleagues at 51. A running gag in the show is Cruz's inability to cook; he tries to fill in as the firehouse cook after Mills is promoted from Candidate status but his cooking is often met with ridicule from the rest of the firehouse.

Randy "Mouch" McHolland

Randy McHolland
First appearance	Pilot (episode 1.01)
Portrayed by	Christian Stolte
Information
Full name	Randall McHolland
Nickname(s)	Mouch
Occupation	Firefighter, CFD Security guard
Spouse(s)	Sergeant Trudy Platt[6]
Significant other(s)	Mari (ex-girlfriend)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Truck 81
Rank	Firefighter

Portrayed by Christian Stolte

Firefighter Randy "Mouch" McHolland (Season 2–present; recurring Season 1) is one of the veteran firefighters of Truck 81. As a senior member of Truck 81, he, along with Herrmann, are often seen as the ringleaders and respected by the rest of the crew as such. Mouch serves as union representative for the members of the station when they face disciplinary action or a lawsuit and is knowledgeable in the legalities and political side of the fire department. He has a part-time job as a security guard. Instead of "McHolland", he has "Mouch" written on the back of his turnout coat. With the help of Herrmann, he joins the race for fire union president but loses his chance to win due to his refusal to play dirty. When Firehouse 51 is about to be shut down, Mouch is the one who rallies the union's executive committee to stand up to Gail McLeod.

Infrequently referred to as "Randy", Mouch gained his peculiar nickname due to the fact that he can almost always be found on the couch watching television when not on a call ("half man, half couch"). He offends Boden's secretary Connie, who has the couch moved to the space outside Boden's office.^[12] He spends much of the episode distressing over the loss of "his" couch before succumbing to Herrmann's advice to apologize to Connie. She finally returns the couch to the lounge after Mouch apologizes twice.

Mouch was in a long distance relationship with a Japanese woman named Mari. Later Shay sets him up with a "Golden Oldies" dating profile and he acquires a blind date. His lack of social skills around women hinders him and his colleagues have had to "coach" him on the idiosyncrasies of taking women out on dates. He meets Chicago PD Sergeant Trudy Platt (Amy Morton), who also appears in Chicago P.D., by accident at Chief Boden's wedding reception and they have been dating ever since. As such, Mouch has appeared on Chicago P.D., usually to visit Platt. In season 4, he finally finds the courage to propose to Platt but it goes down the drain and they have to part ways after he is called to an emergency. Platt eventually proposes to spare him the embarrassment and they agree to get married. They marry in an intimate ceremony at Molly's, in the presence of Mouch's co-workers from 51 and Platt's co-workers from the 21st District.^[6]

Jimmy Borelli

Jimmy Borelli
First appearance	"Let It Burn" (episode 4.01)
Last appearance	"A Real Wake-Up Call" (episode 5.02)
Portrayed by	Steven R. McQueen
Information
Occupation	Firefighter, CFD
Family	Danny Borelli (brother) (deceased) Anthony (cousin)
Significant other(s)	Jessica "Chili" Chilton (ex-girlfriend)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Truck 81
Years of service	2015–16
Rank	Firefighter (Candidate)

Portrayed by Steven R. McQueen

Firefighter Candidate Jimmy Borelli is the newest Candidate at Firehouse 51 introduced in the Season 4 premiere. He comes from a family of firefighters "who drink testosterone for breakfast".^[4] His older brother Danny (Andy Ahrens), a firefighter at Engine 67, pranks him by dousing him with beer, dumping him in the trunk of his car wrapped up with duct tape and drops him off at 51 in front of a bemused Chief Boden, Lieutenant Casey and most of Truck 81. An unimpressed Chief Boden tells Borelli to go home and never come back to 51 but Jimmy returns to apologize and promises to earn his place. True to his word, he shows himself to be hardworking and dedicated, earning the acceptance of his truck company and the trust of his lieutenant. Casey commented that Borelli was one of the best Candidates he has had on 81 in recent years.^[11] Danny tries to get Jimmy into the same firehouse and is rebuffed by his younger brother. He later explained that he had promised their dying mother that he would protect Jimmy, hence his actions, but stops pursuing the matter after Jimmy explains that he wants to stay at 51 due to the "family" atmosphere.^[11] Like Mills before him, Borelli was assigned to kitchen duty and menial tasks. Gabby Dawson's brother Detective Antonio Dawson talks him into representing 51 at the "Battle of the Badges" boxing match organized by Mouch but his co-workers at 51 leave out the fact that the detective was a seasoned amateur boxer.

Borelli was attracted to Paramedic in Charge Jessica "Chili" Chilton and they begin seeing each other until both Lieutenant Casey and Chief Patterson catch them making out and give Borelli a stern warning about fraternization rules.^[13] Chili tries to brush it off but Borelli respected Casey and asks Chili if they could "cool it", to which she angrily accuses him of not being serious in their relationship. Their relationship is further strained after Chili spirals out of control when she starts drinking to cope with the death of her sister and repeatedly refuses help from him or Sylvie Brett. Chili leaves 51 to enter rehab and Brett becomes the new PIC. Borelli is transferred to Ambulance 61 as his spot as a Candidate at 51 was under threat due to budget cuts and reshuffling of manpower.

Peter Mills

Peter Mills
First appearance	Pilot (episode 1.01)
Last appearance	"You Know Where to Find Me" (episode 3.20)
Portrayed by	Charlie Barnett
Information
Nickname(s)	Pete
Family	Henry Mills (father, deceased) Ingrid Mills (mother) Elise Mills (sister)
Significant other(s)	Gabriela Dawson (ex-girlfriend) Isabella (ex-girlfriend)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Squad 3/Ambulance 61 (S2-3) Truck 81 (S1-2)
Years of service	2012-2015
Rank	Firefighter (S1-3) Paramedic/PIC (Season 2)

Portrayed by Charlie Barnett

EMT Peter Mills (Season 1–3) was introduced as the Firefighter Candidate at Truck 81. Following in the footsteps of his father, Peter aspires to join the Rescue Squad. His father served with Chief Boden and Lieutenant Severide's father Benny. Just minutes after arriving at the firehouse, he quickly finds himself caught in the middle of a spat between the firehouse's two Lieutenants, who have been at odds with one another since Darden's death a month earlier. As the new Candidate of Truck 81, he was pranked by his more senior counterparts and referred to by his whole name instead of his last name as per custom. At the end of season 1, he picks up an application for the Chicago Police Department because he does not get promoted to squad and to avoid Chief Boden. However, Mills later gets rewarded with a promotion to Squad 3. After badly injuring his leg in the season two finale Mills is put off work for six weeks but returns after four weeks in the season three premiere. After revealing to Lt. Severide that he gets dizzy whenever he isn't up right, Severide tells him to see a doctor. The doctor tells him that he can no longer be a firefighter. This all happens after Dawson is named to be a candidate on Truck 81 so because Mills has EMT training, he applies to replace Dawson as PIC and gets the job and now works with Paramedic Sylvie Brett. In season 3, he stated his desire to return to Squad 3, only to find that Severide had already filled the vacancy left by Newhouse. In late season 2, he asks Newhouse, one of Severide's men in Squad 3 who moonlights as a private investigator, to track down his father's side of the family as he wanted to know why his mother had forbidden him to talk about his paternal relatives or contact them all these years.

Mills begins dating Gabriela Dawson in secret, later breaking up with her because she keeps the knowledge of an affair between his mother and Chief Boden from him. He tells Dawson that he would be willing to start over with her if she can tell him for sure that she does not have feelings for Casey, but she cannot, and the two officially end their relationship. He later dates Isabella, a friend of Dawson's, and their relationship takes various turns: first they meet and she takes him to a formal event with Senator Wheeler and reveals her future ambitions; they feud because he felt used as his feelings of insecurity took over. Later they get over the feud and grow closer, Finally when the firehouse is in severe danger of closing he asks her for help to save 51 and they work together.

His sister Elise and mother ran a family restaurant following his father's death and Mills quickly earns the favor of his colleagues at the firehouse for his cooking skills. After Mills is promoted from Candidate status, the men have a hard time finding a replacement, with Otis and Cruz both trying but failing miserably.

In season 3, Mills' family is notified that his paternal grandfather has left them a restaurant in Wilmington, North Carolina. As their family restaurant had been burned in the previous season, his mother and sister jumped at the chance but Mills was reluctant to leave as he just returned to duty with the rescue squad. He finally decides to move with his family.

Leslie Shay

Leslie Shay
First appearance	Pilot (episode 1.01)
Last appearance	"Real Never Waits" (episode 2.22)
Portrayed by	Lauren German
Information
Full name	Leslie Elizabeth Shay
Gender	Female
Family	Megan Shay (sister)
Significant other(s)	Devon (ex-girlfriend) Clarice Carthage (ex-girlfriend)
Career
Department	Chicago Fire Department Ambulance 61
Years of service	2008-2014
Rank	Paramedic

Portrayed by Lauren German

Paramedic Leslie Shay (Season 1–2) was Gabby Dawson's partner at Ambulance 61 and the designated driver. An experienced paramedic, she was well-liked by the mostly male crew of 51 and was frequently seen joking and horseplaying with them in the lounge during downtime. She and Kelly Severide share an apartment as roommates and are best friends. Shay is openly gay, often cracking self-deprecating jokes about it, and is entangled in a relationship with her ex-lover Clarice who was most recently married to and impregnated by a man. She is fiercely loyal to her friends, particularly to Kelly, for whom she has risked her job for several times. Towards the end of Season 1 and Season 2 she tries to have a baby through artificial insemination with Kelly but the process fails. She is also close with Dawson, but a rift comes between them when Dawson fails to be there for her during her downward spiral of guilt over a man's suicide. She then gets mixed up with a girl she met, Devon, who she really liked, but that all ended when Devon robbed Shay and her roommates, Severide and Otis. Shay disappears and Severide tries to look for her. He asks for Dawson's help and when Dawson finds her they rekindle their friendship and Shay goes back to Firehouse 51. An accident in the cliffhanger season finale of season two leaves Shay critically injured in the explosion of a building and she dies in the third season premiere "Always". Her death affected the entire firehouse as she was popular with everyone and well-liked by the mostly-male crew. The subsequent investigation and Severide's own observations reveal that Shay had been murdered. Chicago PD detectives later linked the fire with a string of unsolved arson cases dating back several decades. The investigation proved that the arsonist and murderer of Shay was Trenton Lamont under the aliases of Adrian Gish and Ross Mcgowan. Shay was avenged for good when Lamont was later shot and killed by Chicago PD detective Antonio Dawson.

Hallie Thomas

Hallie Thomas
First appearance	Pilot (episode 1.01)
Last appearance	"A Hell of a Ride" (episode 1.24)
Portrayed by	Teri Reeves
Information
Occupation	Physician, Lakeshore Hospital
Family	Unnamed sister
Significant other(s)	Matthew Casey (ex-fiancée)

Portrayed by Teri Reeves

Dr. Hallie Thomas (Season 1) was a resident at Lakeshore Hospital and Casey's former fiancée. In the pilot episode, the two break up, but reconcile soon after. Their relationship becomes strained when Hallie reveals that she does not want to have children and she leaves Casey. When she returns, the two mend their relationship. After reuniting with Matt, the clinic she worked in was set ablaze. Hallie was trapped in the drug lockup but was rescued by Casey. After being pulled from the blaze, she was transported with CPR in progress to Lakeshore Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Recurring characters

Firefighters and paramedics

• Jose Vargas (Mo Gallini) is a former firefighter at 51. A sixteen-year veteran of the CFD, Vargas recently transferred from Truck 81 in the episode "Professional Courtesy" to Squad 3. Initially, Severide questions if his motivation was due to monetary benefits and a potential promotion but Vargas proves to be one of his most reliable men. He is forced to retire after he suffered serious injuries to his lungs in a warehouse fire and considers suicide by jumping from his apartment building rooftop, but Severide and Casey talk him out of it. In the beginning of season 3, he appears in a flashback on Shay's first day at Firehouse 51.
• Capp (Randy Flagler) is a member of Squad 3. He is usually one of the less vocal firefighters at 51 and is particularly loyal to Severide. He and Tony are the only remaining men who have been with Severide in squad from the first season.
• Tony (Anthony Ferraris) is a member of Squad 3. Although his turnout coat has his last name, he is always addressed as "Tony" by Severide. Ferraris himself is a Chicago Fire Department firefighter and is one of several CFD current and retired firefighters involved in the show.^[14]
• Kevin Hadley (William Smillie) is a former member of Squad 3, he was transferred out of Squad 3 to another house because of an inappropriate prank on Peter Mills. In season 2 he targets Firehouse 51 and personally targets Severide for revenge with arson attacks and burns himself when pouring gas on himself and standing on top of an accelerant, leaving him badly scarred and in constant pain. He is currently in prison. He appears in a flashback on Shay's first day at Firehouse 51 in the season 3 premiere.
• Rick Newhouse (Edwin Hodge) transfers from the fictional Squad 6 based in South Side in the season 2 episode "One More Shot" to fill the empty spot left behind in Squad 3 after Clarke's promotion and subsequent transfer. His experience and charismatic personality quickly wins over Severide and the rest of the men, although Herrmann initially antagonized him as he had yet to come to terms with the recent suicide of Candidate Rebecca Jones. When off duty, he moonlights as a skiptracer and has been seen entertaining his coworkers with stories of his "clientele". Mills looks up to him as an older brother figure. He hails from the crime-ridden Chicago area of Roseland and, despite getting out, still goes back to visit family. He is a single father with an elementary school-age daughter Naomi. In season 3, he leaves Chicago to visit family in Miami and Scott Rice takes over his spot on Squad 3 on a temporary basis. Whether or not Newhouse will return remains ambiguous.
• Pouch the dog:^[15] Peter is given a dog by a child from a family who could not take care of it. Hermann, Chief Boden, and Mouch decide against it. Eventually, the three agree after Hermann suggests the three should rethink the dog. She is given a name and adopted by the team. Pouch's name was decided by Hermann, who suggests she should be named after Mouch, which is half man, half couch, to Pouch: half pooch, half couch. Mouch was initially against them adopting Pouch because of a bad experience he had with the dog at his former firehouse but comes to enjoy Pouch's company. The two are often seen on the couch together.
• Firefighter Candidate Rebecca Jones (Daisy Betts) was a Candidate assigned to Truck 81 and the only daughter of Deputy District Chief Lionel Jones. She and Gabby Dawson were the only females in their cohort at the fire academy. Dawson catches her cheating in the theory test but decides not to say anything after Jones revealed the real reason why she wanted to become a firefighter. The men of Truck 81 are unsettled upon finding out that she was their new candidate. She turns against Dawson after being told to clean the toilets by Herrmann, backed up by Lieutenant Casey, both of whom already had reputations for being hard on Candidates, as she thought that Casey and Dawson were colluding against her.^[16]
• Lieutenant Jeff Clarke (Jeff Hephner) is a former member of Squad 3. After his firehouse is closed, he is transferred to Firehouse 51, Squad 3. Initially, he was not liked by the rest of the crew as he was extremely private and preferred to read newspapers at the squad's table rather than socialize with them in the lounge. His arrival at 51 coincided with McLeod's efforts to find reasons to close Firehouse 51 down and he was falsely accused of being McLeod's mole. When the rest of the firehouse realizes that he had actually turned McLeod down, they befriend him and helped him through his marital problems. He was also revealed to be a former Marine and Iraq veteran. His wife Lisa had cheated on him while he was on his final tour and were estranged when the character is first introduced. They reconnect after she asks for his forgiveness and he and the crew were nearly killed by a burning propane tanker on a call. Lisa's ex-lover Hayes turned out to be a loanshark who continuously harasses them to the point where Clarke was prepared to kill the man with his military-issue sniper rifle.^[17] When Hayes is found dead, Clarke becomes the prime suspect and tries to protect Lisa upon finding out that she had been involved. The detective in charge of his case Jay Halstead sympathizes with him (it is revealed in Chicago P.D. that Jay was also a military veteran) after Clarke explains that he had to protect Lisa as she was the only one who was there for him when he returned from his tour of duty suffering from PTSD.^[18] He transferred out of 51 after being promoted to lieutenant and is now the commander of Truck 25. His last appearance was in the episode "A Heavy Weight", when he drops by 51 to check up on his friends after Rebecca Jones' suicide. After his promotion he hurts himself on the job and returns to Med School and is now a Resident at Chicago Med
• Lieutenant Spellman (John Hoogenakker) is introduced as a transfer to Firehouse 51, along with Clarke, after city budget cuts force downsizing in the CFD. He is later revealed to be the snitch to Gail McLeod and is "transferred" out of 51.^[19] Mills realizes that he was McLeod's "spy" and Spellman is quickly transferred out after the entire crew, Lieutenants Casey and Severide and Chief Boden included, stage a "rebellion" by handing him pink transfer forms and taping his locker with pink forms.^[20]
• Chaplain Orlovsky (Gordon Clapp) is a CFD chaplain and long-time colleague of Boden. There was some tension between him and Boden due to unresolved issues from the past, but they put it behind them after Orlovsky explains what happened. He runs a boys' hockey team, which Herrmann's son Luke is part of. Boden would send his firefighters to the chaplain for counselling, especially after a traumatic experience.
• Paramedic in Charge Allison Rafferty (Christine Evangelista) joins Ambulance 61 as Leslie Shay's new partner and Dawson's replacement after the latter begins training at the fire academy. At first Rafferty seems distant toward Shay and when Shay later confronts her, she tells her that her previous partner at 24 was a lesbian and used to make "graphic" phone calls to her girlfriend that made Rafferty uncomfortable. In her second episode appearance, it is revealed she was a resident doctor at Chicago Med but dropped out when her fiancé developed Hodgkin's lymphoma; he died six months later. She is suspended for treating a patient that refused treatment, and Dawson regains her spot on Ambulance 61.
• Erik McAuley (David Pasquesi) is a paramedic who has appeared in several episodes on relief duty. He is known for his sarcasm and pessimism and was described by the crew at 51 as "the worst Mr. Doom and Gloom" and "Eeyore".^[21]
• Scott Rice (Warren Christie) is a former firefighter with 114 who rejoins the CFD and fills in the empty spot in Squad 3 vacated by Mills, who was out with an injury. He is widowed with a young son named Logan. Severide had recommended him and his arrival was met with suspicion, particularly by Otis. According to Otis, there were rumors going around about Rice shirking his duty or losing his concentration at critical moments.
• Battalion Chief Dallas Patterson (Brian J. White) was assigned by Chief Riddle to oversee Squad 3 during Severide's temporary demotion in the Season 4 premiere. Severide tries to hide the fact that he resents Patterson, who attempts to win over the men of Squad 3 by taking the tab or buying pizza for them. He is given the promotion from Captain to Chief during Boden's legal troubles, much to everyone's dismay. It is later revealed that Patterson had actually been waiting for an opportunity to trap the much despised Chief Riddle and force him into retirement.

Family members and significant others

• Nancy Casey (Kathleen Quinlan) is the mother of Matthew and Christie Casey who was incarcerated for murdering their verbally abusive father and her husband Gregory in 1997, fifteen years prior to the beginning of the series. She had grown estranged from her children while in prison; it was mentioned that Christie still could not forgive her and would testify against her at each parole hearing, thereby postponing Nancy's release, while Casey only visited on rare occasions. Casey is successful in getting Nancy released on parole after convincing Christie to let go of the past. Nancy stays with her son as part of her parole but things become tense between mother and son when Casey voices his discomfort over her going out with "a penpal" just hours after being released. She moves in with her former cellmate, but not before telling her children to mend their relationship. Prior to the character's introduction, Casey almost never mentioned any family members. Only Dawson knew about his having to testify at Nancy's parole hearing while his two most senior firefighters Herrmann and Mouch both mentioned that Casey's family was a taboo topic. When Nancy came to visit him at the firehouse, he was visibly uncomfortable with her presence.
• Renee Royce (Sarah Shahi)^[22] is the ex-girlfriend of Lieutenant Kelly Severide Renee becomes attracted to Kelly after he saves her in a traffic accident, and they begin dating. In the season 1 finale, she announced that she is pregnant with Kelly Severide's child. In season 2, it is revealed that the baby is not Severide's.
• Benjamin "Benny" Severide^[18] (Treat Williams) is Kelly's father and a fire captain who served with Chief Wallace Boden and Peter Mills' father Henry Mills. He is a skilled arson investigator currently with the CFD's Office of Fire Investigation Division (OFI). The elder Severide seems well-known within the CFD, with various characters, mainly the "white shirts" (high-ranking officers), referring to Kelly as Benny's son.^[1][18] In season 2, Gail McLeod plots a way to overthrow Chief Boden and recruits Benny to see if he will command 51. He accepts but then he backs out because of his longstanding friendship with Wallace.^[23] He and Chief Boden had fallen out after the death of Henry Mills in the line of duty to the point where they even argued in front of Boden's men at the firehouse but both have been able to set aside their differences when needed. Benny had a love-hate relationship with his son as he had left Kelly and his mother when the latter was ten years old and had Katie, Kelly's half-sister, with another woman. He lived in Kenosha, Wisconsin with his new wife Beth and two sons but abandoned them and moved to Chicago without Kelly's knowledge. Kelly only finds out when Beth personally introduces herself to him and asks him to tell Benny to come home for the boys' sakes. In season 2, he was implied to be responsible for the disappearance of Vince Keeler, the mobster behind Katie's kidnapping, and confesses to Detective Voight. Voight, being a father himself, lets Benny off and Benny returns to Kenosha on his advice.^[7]
• Cindy Herrmann (Robyn Coffin) is the wife of Christopher Herrmann, and mother of their five children (4 boys and 1 girl). In the episode "Under the Knife" Herrmann announces that Cindy is pregnant with their fifth child. In "Ambition" she has a medical episode as a result of the pregnancy and passes out and is rushed to the hospital. In "Hell of a Ride" she has a baby boy. As she is Catholic and does not use birth control because of religious restrictions, Herrmann surprises her on their twentieth anniversary by getting a vasectomy.^[7]
• Elise Mills (Alexandra Metz) is Peter Mills' sister. She helps run the family restaurant with her mom and is torn between being protective of Peter and encouraging him to follow his passion for public service.
• Katie Nolan (Brittany Curran) is Kelly Severide's half-sister, and Benny Severide's daughter. Kelly and Katie didn't know each other until they meet in the restaurant where Katie works as a chef. Katie was kidnapped after "the blackout" by Vince Keeler and is badly injured. Katie later moves to Colorado for a fresh start.
• Clarice Carthage (Shiri Appleby) is introduced as the pregnant ex-girlfriend of Leslie Shay. In season 1, episode 13, Shay and Clarice reconcile their relationship and Clarice moves back in with Shay, only for Clarice to break up with Shay for a second time at the end of season 1, episode 16.

Other

• Gail McLeod (Michelle Forbes) is a financial consultant hired by the state to help trim the budget of the CFD which includes closing some firehouses. She had Lieutenant Spellman, a transfer from a closed firehouse, "report" to her on the activities of the crew at 51 but Spellman was coerced into transferring out when the entire crew, led by Lieutenants Casey and Severide, staged a plan to run him out upon discovering that he was the mole. Mouch rallies the union to fight back when he discovers the reason why McLeod was so keen on closing down firehouses. The community and fellow firefighters rally behind 51, drawing the attention of State Senator Wheeler, who orders his assistant Isabella, then-girlfriend of Peter Mills, to reverse the closure of 51.^[24]
• Connie (DuShon Monique Brown) is Boden's secretary. She is feared by the other firefighters for her no-nonsense attitude and acerbic wit. Mouch notably had "his couch" confiscated when he tried to push his union paperwork to her and only got it back after apologizing to her twice. Boden once quipped that his "entire relationship with Connie is based on asking her for as little as possible."^[12] She is implied to have been the one to file a complaint against Firefighter Candidate Rebecca Jones for her sexual innuendo-laced prank on Herrmann as she has repeatedly made known her dislike of Jones. She is well-known for her inability to keep secrets.^[1]
• Jack Nesbitt (Eric Mabius) is a former firefighter who started a nightclub-cum-strip club called "Stilettos" and initially appeared to be a success story of a firefighter smoothly transitioning into civilian life. He contacts Casey, an old acquaintance, to do renovation work for the club. Casey begins to suspect something was going on after seeing some foreign-looking men in Nesbitt's office and Nesbitt attempts to get him to join as a "business associate". Detective Voight then alerts Casey that the CPD has been suspecting Nesbitt for human trafficking but were unable to nail him with solid evidence. One of the strippers Katya later tells Casey that she has collected information on the trafficking ring operating out of Stilettos, confirming Voight's suspicion. It is revealed that Nesbitt was actually a double agent; he was colluding with Bulgarian criminals and profiting from the trafficking ring while feeding the FBI information about the Bulgarians' criminal activities. He is eventually arrested by Voight and the FBI.
• Katya L. Antov (Izabella Miko) was a 27-year-old^[1] Bulgarian emigrant working at a nightclub Casey was contracted to do renovation work for during the latter half of Season 3. She had gathered information on a trafficking ring running out of the nightclub and went to Casey's apartment to ask for his help. Casey tells her that he was helping Detective Hank Voight in doing undercover surveillance to find evidence so the Chicago Police Department could shut down the trafficking ring. They were ambushed by Bulgarian criminals and she was shot execution-style in front of him. Her death would haunt Casey for the first several episodes of Season 4.

Crossover characters

Chicago P.D.

• Detective Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda) is a Chicago Police Department detective assigned to District 21 and older brother of Gabriela "Gabby" Dawson. He is enlisted by Casey for help when Casey runs into trouble with the seemingly dirty CPD Detective Hank Voight. He is later almost killed in an undercover job gone bad, and joins District 21's Intelligence Unit run by the newly out of prison Hank Voight. Whenever a firefighter at Firehouse 51, where Gabby works, has a run-in with the CPD, Antonio is often called in due to his good relationship with Boden and the firefighters. He and his (ex)wife Laura have two children: Diego and Eva.
• Detective Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) is a seemingly dirty cop who clashes with Lieutenant Matthew Casey (in the episode "Professional Courtesy") after Voight's son's drunk driving paralyzes a teen. Voight covers for his son and targets Casey when he refuses to back down. He was imprisoned for trying to have Casey murdered but has since been released and promoted to sergeant. He heads up the Intelligence Unit of Chicago P.D. and has since been working with Casey to track down the person or people involved with the death of his ex-fiancée. At the end of season 1 episode 23, it is shown that Voight is actually posing as a dirty cop in an undercover collaboration with Internal Affairs to smoke out criminals and other dirty cops. Due to his history with Casey, Voight is still largely despised or viewed with suspicion by the men at Firehouse 51. He does earn their grudging respect with his dedication to finding justice for victims. Voight stated on Chicago P.D. that he considers firefighters "one of our own" and has gone out of his way a number of times to help them and their family members when necessary. He returns to seek Casey's help in investigating a suspected human trafficking ring operating out of a nightclub at which Casey was doing renovation work for. In Season 4, he personally arrests Jack Nesbitt, owner of the nightclub, as the latter was about to shoot Casey to cover his tracks.
• Detective Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush) is a colleague of Antonio's and previously dated Lieutenant Kelly Severide. She was one of the detectives assigned to investigate the kidnapping of Severide's half sister Katie. They break up by Season 3 when Severide spirals out of control after the death of his best friend and co-worker Leslie Shay. With the premiere of Fire spin-off Chicago P.D., she has had an on-off relationship with her partner Detective Jay Halstead.
• Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) is a detective with the Intelligence Unit who was first introduced as a undercover cop. He was posing as "Jay", a regular customer at Molly's, and begins a relationship with Gabriela Dawson, sister of his colleague Antonio. She discovers he was a henchman of Arthur, a mobster who has been harassing Gabby and her fellow firefighters and joint owners at their bar Molly's. Feeling betrayed, she dumps him and is about to call the police when Antonio reveals to her that "Jay" was actually his co-worker Detective Jay Halstead. Halstead eventually successfully takes down and arrests Arthur, but not before taking a bullet to his shoulder. He and Gabby mutually agree to part ways. In Season 2, he appears again, this time to investigate whether Clarke, one of Severide's men, was involved in the murder of his wife's ex-lover.
• Desk Sergeant Trudy Platt (Amy Morton) is the fiancée of Mouch, one of the firefighters at 51. They first met at Chief Boden's wedding reception in the Season 2 finale and began dating. She often dotes on him, much to the envy of his colleagues.
• Greg "Mouse" Gurwitch (Samuel Hunt) is the tech analyst at the 21st District. Lieutenant Severide asks for his help regarding a potential cover-up after some files on Gabby's computer were deleted.^[3]

Chicago Med

• Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) is the brother of Detective Jay Halstead. He was previously a plastic surgeon based in New York City but returned home to Chicago where he is now an emergency medicine resident at the (fictional) Chicago Medical Center. He is one of two main characters from the spin-off Chicago Med who has been introduced to the franchise prior to the episode "I Am the Apocalypse", which served as a backdoor pilot for Med.
• April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) is a nurse at Chicago Med and was first introduced in the episode "Forgive You Anything". She went to high school with Lieutenant Kelly Severide and is one of the few characters who knew Severide prior to him joining the CFD and of his background. Her family welcomed Kelly into their home when he was going through a troubled phase due to his dysfunctional family life.
• Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) is a psychiatrist at Chicago Med. He counselled Brett when she found herself too attached to an infant she helped deliver during a call.^[11]

References