Presented as a grounded, authentic picture of the high-risk, on-duty lives

and off-duty personal challenges of its courageous firefighters and paramedics,

the truth is “Chicago Fire” hasn’t always kept every aspect of the series totally

fact-based. In this regard, a subtle detail about one vital piece of the firehouse squad’s equipment seems to be utterly unrealistic, at least in the opinion of some veteran real-world firefighters. The breathing apparatus used in Chicago Fire isn’t the real deal Forum poster FyredUp wondered, “So what is wth [sic] the funky face pieces on the Scott masks…Those are NOT standard facepieces. The regulator does not lay flat like that at the bottom of the mask…

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?” Forum member Chenzo agreed something wasn’t right with the SCBA, saying, “At least I’m not the only one wondering what in hell is up with those face pieces.” Poster FWDbuff attempted to be a bit more charitable about the issue, writing, “…understand that it is a TV show made for entertainment purposes by Hollywood studio-types…” And while producer Wolf would doubtless agree with the later statement regarding entertainment value, this is one subtle but vital detail in “Chicago Fire” that makes the show unrealistic — at least for viewers who seem to have experience charging into actual flaming buildings.