Severide is a versatile firefighter who balances his work with Firehouse 51 and OFI because he is skilled at putting out fires and investigating arson cases. In the past, former firehouse Chief Boden would approve of Severide working with Van Meter and OFI. However, now that Pascal is Chief, he wants to be kept in the loop about Severide’s work with OFI and warns Kelly about tackling too much work to ensure he can maintain his duties at Firehouse 51.

Pascal Warns Severide About Taking On Too Much With His OFI Teaching Gig

Pascal Worries Severide Is Overworking Himself

While Pascal is getting used to his position at Firehouse 51, he’s still trying to maintain control by monitoring everyone’s work ethic, including Severide’s gig with OFI. When Pascal sees Severide preparing materials for his class, he looks concerned because he doesn’t want Severide to be distracted or too occupied that OFI will keep him away from responsibilities at Firehouse 51. This refers back to Pascal’s first appearance on the show when he introduces himself and tells the crew “I’m not Chief Boden,” expecting to run Firehouse 51 his way with everyone on board.

How Pascal’s Warning Contradicts His Previous Stance About Severide & OFI

Pascal Is A Controlling Leader With Questionable Expectations

Despite Pascal’s concern over Severide’s workload, his warning contradicts his prior statements about Severide and OFI. Earlier this season, Pascal mentioned how Severide is the best in arson cases, which raises the question of why he isn’t more supportive of the lieutenant. This could be because Pascal is still questioning Severide’s commitment to Firehouse 51 since there have been times when he’s been away for long stretches to work with OFI.

Why His Relationship With Severide Is Key To Pascal’s Success In Firehouse 51

Pascal Needs Severide’s Trust To Get Through To The Firehouse

Pascal understands that he is an outsider among the family of firefighters in Firehouse 51. He may believe that if he intends to gain the trust of the firehouse, he will need Severide by his side since Kelly is their defacto leader. If Severide supports Pascal, everyone at 51 will likely follow and support the new Chief. Kelly and Pascal have proven they can work together on complex fire and arson cases. Perhaps Pascal can work closely with others at 51 to maintain a healthy relationship with the crew.

After Herrmann and Mouch pass the captain and lieutenant exams respectively, Pascal also realizes that he needs to prove himself as a competent leader, since he may not have much time with Firehouse 51. If Pascal were to pass the captain job to Herrmann in Chicago Fire, it’s possible that he could still stay at 51 and work with Severide on more arson cases after their previous success in catching a corrupt cop. But first, Pascal needs to be on the same page with Severide and the firehouse to ensure they can coexist.