9 Best Firefighter Shows, Ranked: ‘9-1-1,’ ‘Chicago Fire’ & More

This may be the only comedic offering on this list and have taken place in a city where the firefighters weren’t needed that often, but it still is a great show to look at all sides of the job. Plus, as creator, writer, executive producer, and star Kevin Heffernan told TV Insider, their goal was to be authentic, and that includes the hijinks around the station.

Before shows like ER and Chicago Fire were on NBC, the network had this first responder series, focusing on firefighters (at Fire Station 51—in Los Angeles, not the Windy City!), paramedics, and doctors tackling the same kinds of emergencies we’re used to seeing on shows today. It, like 9-1-1, showed the firefighters and paramedics during downtime in the house, as well as the major rescues.

Take what we love about first responder shows, add in the drama and fiery hot romances of Grey’s Anatomy, and you’ve got the medical drama’s spinoff. The crossovers were great, the characters and their relationships complicated (to say the least), and the series went out with a major emergency, a wildfire that put pretty much everyone in danger.

Considering the success of 9-1-1 already when this spinoff premiered, is it any wonder that it just takes the formula everyone already knows works (there’s a reason the original is high up on our list) and makes it fit the location? Plus, it delves deep into the characters’ lives, gives us relationships we’ve been rooting for from the beginning (like fan-favorite Tarlos), and of course features notable emergencies.

This NBC series features the heart-racing action found in first responder dramas for firefighters, paramedics, and cops alike, all working the 3-11 p.m. shift. And like on all these kinds of shows, the first responders end up in dangerous situations and the show follows their recovery back to work. Plus, there were crossovers with ER and Medical Investigation.

Like other first responder dramas, this one—the newest on the list—is just as much about the characters and relationships as it is about the big emergencies. It’s a series about redemption, not just for Bode (Max Thieriot) but also for everyone else in Edgewater, including both the inmates at Three Rock fire camp and the firefighters at Cal Fire, amidst the wildfires, firenado, and character-related drama.

This FX drama does a great job of highlighting the realities of the effects of the job on firefighters, specifically 9/11, with first responders in New York City. Tommy (Denis Leary, who co-created the series) and others dealt with the trauma that resulted and the losses they suffered, including PTSD and survivor’s remorse, from that day as well as day-to-day on the job.

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” Anything can come after that. There have been some very memorable calls over the seven seasons and counting (we’ll never forget the motorcycle accident of the Season 1 finale)—and every member of the 118 has had their fair share of trauma. To name a few: Bobby’s (Peter Krause) tragic past and history nearly repeating itself with his and Athena’s (Angela Bassett) house set on fire; Chimney’s (Kenneth Choi) rebar through the head; Hen’s (Aisha Hinds) fall during an earthquake; Buck (Oliver Stark) getting struck by lightning; Eddie (Ryan Guzman) getting shot; Athena fighting for her life against a rapist while Bobby could only listen over the radio; and Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) versus her abusive ex-husband Doug (Brian Hallisay). Moments like that, as well as seeing how close these characters are, keep us tuning in.

For 12 seasons and counting, we’ve watched the firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51 rush to calls and, in some cases, give up their lives to save others. (There are some deaths we’re still not over—RIP Shay and Otis.) So many shows say their teams and characters have each other’s backs, but we’ve seen time and time again how true that is in this case, especially when an external force comes after one of their own. There have been quite a few cast changes over the years, but one thing that remains the same is a consistent mix of action-packed emergencies and heartfelt, character- and relationship-driven moments.