‘Chicago Fire’ Season 4 Episode 14: Chilton Found Drinking On The Job

Paramedic Jessica “Chili” Chilton (Dora Madison) slowly ruins her time at Firehouse 51 with her alcohol addiction. We see her drinking at home and at work as a healing mechanism for the death of her sister.

The paramedics arrive on scene where they assist a little boy locked inside with his older brother who has been shot. They guide the young boy into bandaging up his brother’s wound while they wait for the truck to arrive and break open the door.

A teacher comes into the firehouse and proposes that Lieutenant Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) run for alderman against Becks. Everyone in 51 begs Casey to run.

After Dawson reassures Casey that he’s perfect for the job, he eventually goes back to the teacher to figure out how to get signatures.

Fire and paramedics are called to a hazmat case where a worker accidentally snapped a valve connected to an ammonia cooling system. When they invade the warehouse, Casey and Jimmy find the worker in a pool of ammonia. They drag him outside and paramedics immediately care for him. Unfortunately, he’s already dead.

Chili tries to revive him and storms off when she realizes there’s no hope. Brett consoles the other worker that, “the exposure was too great. There was nothing you could have done.”

It’s time for the Battle of the Badges and no one thinks Candidate Jimmy Borelli (Steven R. McQueen) will make it past the first round against ex-golden gloves and Firefighter Gabriela Dawson’s brother, Antonio, of Chicago PD.

Dawson coaches Jimmy and Mouch referees the match. Jimmy gets in a good hit and the crowd roars. But after his hit to the face, Antonio comes back fierce like a wild animal and knocks him out.

Whenever Chili feels down, she’ll find somewhere to take a swig of whatever stash she has lying around even if it’s during a shift. In one scene, we see her go out to her car on duty and drink from an open bottle in her glove compartment. We see Chili’s routine of coming back from her car, spraying breath spray and then grabbing a piece of gum to hide her breath. Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) has mixed feelings about Chili as if something’s not right.

Later, Severide approaches Chili about her red flags where her temper flares up, and she gets distracted. He shares his past problem and urges her to get help.

“There’s no shame in admitting it. It’s what I did. I was in some trouble. I asked a friend for help and I got it. And the CFD [Chicago Fire Department] they have programs,” Severide said.

In return she snaps back at him, “I’ve been taking care of myself for a really long time and you don’t need to do it for me.”

Chili tries to sneak alcohol inside the house by transferring it into a coffee cup except Severide catches her in the act. He demands her to see Chief Boden or he will personally go tell him.

She explains to Boden how she’s stressed and feels like everyone is watching her. She finally admits that she needs help and she wants to make it work. But Boden will not accept the behavior and fires her on the spot. As a last result, Chili calls Severide for help and he takes her to counseling.

Casey surprises Dawson with an early Valentine’s Day present, his completed alderman application and official decision to run.

You can catch Chicago Fire on Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.