Chief Casey Season 3: Balancing Family, Work and Friendships

Chapter 404

Matt's POV: After finishing supper, I went to get up and walked to the center of the room so that I could talk to everybody. I then took a deep breath because this conversation has been long overdue. "Guys, I am going to talk right now and you are to listen okay? I am going to speak as your chief and you are to listen. No interruptions or questions okay?" Everybody nodded and agreed with me. I then looked at them and nodded.

(NOTE: I am just writing the speech below, he will rotate every once and a while - each point)

Okay listen guys, I get we are all still grieving for Boden. Believe me, I get that because I am still grieving for him. But I am now the leader of Firehouse 51 and I am your chief. I get for years we have all been working under his rules and his stuff. But, in my opinion...some of those rules are outdated and need to be updated. So, I am going to be changing stuff around effective immediately to bring this house into the 21st Century. And here are the things I am changing.

#1 Candidacy: Like I just said...they are not going to be chefs anymore. You are all able to get up and cook in that kitchen. My candidates are here to learn how to be firefighters and not how to cook for some grown ass men who better know how to cook. If you don't...you need to learn because that is just ridiculous. You guys are all old enough to be firefighters but can't cook?

#2 Junior Candidacy: This is the program we already spoke about with the other chiefs but, I am going to talk about it more. We are now going to be mentoring students from the academy every year. We are going to be learning who we are getting ahead of time. They will be learning here. Fire school is now here and you are to be their teachers during their pre-candidacy period.

#3 Squad: Severide, don't even say anything. I am allowed to do these changes because I am chief. Plus, you have already approved of it. Once you are done your search of buildings, you are to help with the hoses. It's ridiculous that truck and engine are the only firefighters that have to help with the hoses. Under my leadership, we are all going to help put out the fires equally.

#4A Comradery: Severide, you shut up again. Effective immediately, there is no more squad table on the floor. You are to sit in here with the rest of the firehouse to work on your comradery. Since you are going to be working together more at every fire, I expect you guys to get to know each other on a much better basis. I will ask you guys to move it in here again. Put it somewhere.

#4B The Couch: That couch that Mouch is sitting on doesn't move. We are going to use it that way. I want you to be able to sit there and speak to everybody else. That helps with the comradery part of how this is going to work.

#5 First Aid: Effective immediately, all firefighters are required to have up to date first aid training. You are to assist in small first aid tasks. Paramedics are not going to be abused. I say this because I am married to a paramedic and I saw what she went through when she was a paramedic. They go on twice as many calls as we do. You are going to help them more.

#6 Gabby: I am going to tell you all this because I know you care for her. She is going to be coming here more with the kids. I don't want to hear any complaints. Most of you are dads and you want to be with your kids as much as you can. They are going to be here and you are to treat them as family. Any complaints, I am going to unleash Gabby on you guys. And about Gabby, please don't stress her out. She has Anxiety and OCD. So, that's why she's a little tense.

Now, if you guys have any objections...get over them. Like I said, this is my firehouse now and you guys are going to have to live by my rules. Hermann, Severide...my office.

(Matt then walked away to his office so that he could speak to Hermann and Severide in private)