First Look at ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 14: New Recruit, Budget Cuts, and Major Shakeups PHOTOS

NBC has released the first official photos from the season 14 premiere of “Chicago Fire,” and they hint at big shakeups coming for Firehouse 51. The episode, titled “Kicking Down Doors,” airs Wednesday, October 1, and features both the exit of a fan favorite and the arrival of a brand-new firefighter.

‘Chicago Fire’ Season 14 Premiere Photos Tease Ritter’s Final Calls

The premiere images confirm that Ritter, played by Daniel Kyri, will still be answering calls with his Firehouse 51 family. But since season 14 will mark his departure, fans are already wondering if these scenes could be among his final moments on the job. NBC hasn’t revealed how Ritter will exit the series, leaving the door open for an emotional farewell.

Peter Gordon/NBC

Meanwhile, Firehouse 51 is welcoming a new addition: Sal Vasquez, played by Brandon Larracuente. “Sal is good at his job and he knows it,” Larracuente told TV Insider. “He wants to be the best he can be at his job and to protect those around him while he’s doing it.”

But as a new featurette revealed, his character doesn’t make the smoothest first impression on Lieutenant Kidd, played by Miranda Rae Mayo.

Peter Gordon/NBC

The premiere will also explore the fallout from Herrmann’s (David Eigenberg) decision in the season 13 finale to step away from leadership and hand the officer spot to his longtime friend Mouch (Christian Stolte). “Mouch really steps up and takes over,” showrunner Andrea Newman teased in TV Insider’s One Chicago Fall Preview.

Budget Cuts, Guest Stars, And New Challenges For Firehouse 51

Season 14 will pick up after the CFD was hit with significant budget cuts, which are already straining Firehouse 51.

“Those budget cuts are going to affect everybody at the firehouse this season. There’s a real shakeup,” Newman said. Violet (Hanako Greensmith) will feel the pressure most, managing an overload of ambulance calls with Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) and occasional help from Capp (Randy Flagler).

Peter Gordon/NBC

The new season also introduces Dermot Mulroney’s Chief Dom Pascal, who will have to navigate city politics in order to protect his team. That includes dealing with Annette Davis, the mayor’s chief of staff, played by Annabeth Gish in a multi-episode arc. “It’s an interesting dynamic that she will have with Pascal,” Newman explained, describing their relationship as “very complicated.”

She teased that while the two don’t have history yet, “they will,” adding that Davis is “a bit of a mystery” whose true intentions remain unclear.

The official photos even preview a tense meeting between Pascal and Davis, hinting that her decisions could either help 51 survive the cuts — or make life even harder.

“Chicago Fire” season 14 premieres Wednesday, October 1, at 9/8c on NBC.

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