There is a new guy in charge of Station 42 on Fire Country, and he’s not playing games.
Fire Country Season 4 kicked off with the loss of beloved Battalion Chief Vince Leone (Billy Burke). Not only is the station faced with losing one of its own, but it has a new Battalion Chief, and he’s a far cry from Vince, that’s for sure.
Meet Fire Country‘s Battalion Chief Brett Richards
At the end of the premiere episode, Fire Country fans learned that Battalion Chief Brett Richards (Shawn Hatosy) was taking over Station 42. The news came as Jake (Jordan Calloway) and Bode (Max Thieriot) were fighting over which one of them deserved the honor.
It was clear from the second Brett was introduced that Sharon (Diane Farr) was a fan, and there’s a history there. In the second episode, titled “Not a Stray,” Fire Country fans learned that Sharon, Vince, and Brett all went to the academy together, explaining her attitude toward him.
Brett is all about the basics, something the crew at 42 thinks they have down, but when Bode, Jake, and Audrey (Leven Rambin) ignore an order and put themselves in danger, it’s clear he’s onto something. In fact, before the episode even concludes, even Sharon’s on board with Brett’s style, much to the dismay of Bode.
Fire Country fans also get some backstory, learning that Brett lost someone who was equally as important to him as Vince was to Station 42. That’s just the tip of the iceberg regarding the new chief, who has a knack for fixing what is wrong at various stations in Cal Fire.
Brett will seemingly be around for a while, especially since one of Fire Country’s creators, Joan Rater, teased that the new chief will break some fan favorite characters.
Who Is Playing Battalion Chief Brett Richards on Fire Country?
If the man playing Brett looks familiar, well, that’s because he’s been almost everywhere lately. Hatosy has been acting for decades, kicking off his career in the 1990s with guest star stints and small movie roles.
Related: ‘Fire Country’ Star Makes His Way to ‘Sheriff Country’ in an Entirely Different Role
The actor’s big break came in 2009 on Southland as Detective Sammy Bryant for five seasons. Hatosy followed that up with the short-lived CBS show Reckless. Next up were small parts on Bosch, Fear the Walking Dead, and Flaked, before his next big role came around.
For six seasons, Hatosy played Pope on the hit show Animal Kingdom..
Most recently, he’s been on The Pitt and Chicago P.D. before landing at Fire Country. Fans may not like Brett, but Hatosy will no doubt hit the role out of the park.
Fire Country airs Fridays at 9/8c on CBS.
Next: ‘Fire Country’ Star Sends Strong Message to Fans ‘Angry’ Over Vince’s Death
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
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