Dinner at the Fire House

SHIFT 31...Rick's ReFlections of his 32 years career in the Fire Service...

So let me ask, “Where in 2012 can you go and get a ‘full’ dinner for $5 or a $2 breakfast?” It’s just not happening…lest of course you’re at the Fire House. Yeah, we’re covering one another a little bit, but ‘5’ is an easy number to work with, especially for firefighters. ‘Fourth Street Fettuccine’, ‘Fire House Meat Loaf’, a tender pork loin, good ole ‘Big Beefy Bison Burgers’, or anything with chicken and broccoli, that’s what I’m talking about. The buying, the preparation, the cooking, the eating and the cleanup are all just part of the experience. Wrap that all up with conversation, laughs, and an occasional ‘tap out’, create the perfect environment for firefighter camaraderie. Did I say occasional ‘tap out’? Yeah well… sometimes we’ve no sooner sat down and the tones strike…all waiting to hear if their rig is responding. If so, maybe grabbing a chicken leg and head for the door. If not, eh, why wait for the poor bums…let’s eat!

 Any Rocky Road in that?

Of course a dinner is only one aspect of meal…where would we be without some desert? Ice cream is pretty much a given around the fire house. Those who work a ‘shortly’ (OT that a firefighter gets with less than 24 hour notice) have the customary 2 half gallons of ice cream to buy for the shift that they’re covering. And then there are birthdays with cake and the creative singing of ‘Happy Birthday’. Mom’s you might want to protect your children’s ears:) It’s not a pretty site or sound. Or one of PAF&R desert favorites is ‘Cookie Soup’, made famous by Stone who simply under cooked the cookies one day. Afterwards, having them fully cooked...just never seemed right.

And let’s not forget that part of the meal is having all the right ingredients...And if you don’t? Well there is always the other shifts refrigerator and food. OK, maybe there’s been a theft war or two over the years, but hey, what’s a glass of milk, and egg (or dozen), maybe some of last night’s stew or a slice of that wedding cake between brothers? 

 So there you have it. Until next shift…or the next ‘soooweee’ call over the PA.