8 firefighter shows to watch if 9-1-1 has you hooked

If you are into 9-1-1 then you know the show is not just about fires or car crashes or disasters. It is about the people who run into danger and deal with everything that comes after. These shows work because they mix chaos with quiet moments, and highlight what it means to carry the weight of the job. They don’t just focus on rescues. They follow the crew back to the station. They show fights and friendships and mistakes that hit hard.

You might want something that keeps that pace going. You might want new characters who feel just as real. Firefighter shows come in all styles. Some are raw and serious, while others are light and fun. A few go way back and show how this kind of TV started.

Each one offers a look at people who face danger on a daily basis and still try to live some version of a normal life. Whether you want explosive action or a more grounded story about people trying to hold it together, there is a show out there for you. These eight picks bring different things to the table, but they all carry the same heat that keeps 9-1-1 fans watching.

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8 firefighter shows to watch if 9-1-1 has you hooked

1. Station 19

This spinoff of Grey’s Anatomy follows the firefighters at Station 19 in Seattle. The show begins with Andy Herrera stepping up after her father’s retirement and, later, his death. It explores how the crew handles fires explosions, medical emergencies, and personal issues that don’t stay outside the station doors. The team often faces internal politics and emotional fallout from dangerous calls that change their lives.

What makes it similar to 9-1-1 is the balance between on-scene emergencies and the personal lives of first responders. The show also crosses over with Grey’s Anatomy, which mirrors how 9-1-1 expands through Lone Star. Both focus on chaos at work and the heavy aftermath that never fully goes away.

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2. Chicago Fire

Set in Firehouse 51 this show introduces viewers to the lives of firefighters paramedics and officers working the streets of Chicago. It opens with the sudden death of a team member and the rest of the crew trying to move forward while holding on to what they have lost. Major plotlines involve building collapses, arson investigations and high-rise rescues, while also digging deep into loyalty and trust issues within the station.

It fits well alongside 9-1-1 because of the emotional weight placed on every decision made in the field. Like 9-1-1 it keeps the action consistent but never forgets the personal damage emergencies leave behind. The crossover with Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. adds layers to the story just like 9-1-1 builds through its wider universe.

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3. Fire Country

This series follows Bode Donovan, a prisoner, who signs up for a firefighter program in Northern California hoping to shorten his sentence. His parents work in the same department, which adds tension to every shift. Most of the show focuses on wildfire responses, landslide rescues, and intense physical danger that is hard to recover from. It doesn’t shy away from mistakes and keeps every consequence grounded in personal stakes.

The connection to 9-1-1 is clear in how both shows let the weight of the past shape every move. Bode’s struggle to earn trust feels close to how 9-1-1 characters carry guilt or trauma while doing their jobs. The disasters feel real and the emotions don’t get brushed over, which keeps the tone familiar for 9-1-1 viewers.

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4. Rescue Me

The show centers on Tommy Gavin, a New York firefighter haunted by the memory of his cousin, who died in the 9-11 attacks. Gavin sees ghosts, talks to them, and unravels under the pressure of loss, addiction, and rage. The station runs chaotic calls but the real fire is inside Tommy’s head. The writing cuts deep and the scenes are often messy, emotional, and raw.

What makes it echo 9-1-1 is the emotional fallout of the job. Instead of moving past trauma, Gavin lives with it every day and the show never lets you forget that. While 9-1-1 spreads focus across a team, Rescue Me stays on one man falling apart and still showing up to save people.

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5. Third Watch

This early 2000s series follows the lives of firefighters paramedics and police officers working the same shift in New York. It looks at people like Bobby who can’t let go of guilt, and Doc who breaks down from mental strain. Real events like 9-11 get worked into the story with respect and clarity. The show highlights racism underfunding and burnout in ways that still feel current.

It shares a lot with 9-1-1 in how it treats emergencies as just a part of the story. What matters more is how characters fall apart and try to come back from it. Like 9-1-1, the show doesn’t look away from the long-term damage of doing this kind of work. It treats every shift like something that could change everything.

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6. Emergency!

This series aired in the 1970s and introduced viewers to the lives of Los Angeles County paramedics, Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto. Each episode followed real-life-inspired emergencies that required teamwork coordination and often quick thinking under pressure. The show highlighted rescue operations, medical procedures, and hospital coordination through Station 51 and Rampart General Hospital. It helped define what pre-hospital emergency care looked like in pop culture, before it was widely known.

While it does not have the dramatic pacing of 9-1-1 it laid the groundwork. Both shows treat every emergency as a turning point and both take time to focus on how first responders make decisions that matter in seconds. The core values of service and urgency connect both across generations of viewers.

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7. London’s Burning

This long-running British drama began in the 1980s and followed Blackwall Fire Station’s crew through daily emergencies and personal turmoil. It introduced characters like Sicknote and Bayleaf, and focused on their growth struggles and mistakes. The fires were unpredictable and often tragic, and the personal scenes were just as heavy. The series was known for its rough but honest look at firefighting in the U.K.

Much like 9-1-1, it balanced action with aftermath. It showed how one wrong move could end a career, and how emotional weight followed characters off the scene. The realism and unfiltered storytelling kept viewers hooked for over a decade.

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8. Tacoma FD

Set in one of the rainiest cities in America, this comedy follows a firehouse where there are very few real fires. The show focuses on the boredom competition, and ridiculous challenges that come up when firefighters have too much free time. Characters like Chief Terry and Captain Eddie keep the crew in line, while also getting pulled into wild schemes and unnecessary drills.

While 9-1-1 deals with chaos, this show leans into the calm. Still both shows build around the bond between crew members and the weird ways they cope with the job. It gives a lighter look at life inside the station without forgetting the brotherhood that holds it together.

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