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Firefighter Larry Hoewischer,
above, enjoys seeing fellow crew members enjoy his culinary skills
after cooking breakfast for the squad at Glynn County Fire
Department headquarters. J.D. Cody, left, was the designated maker
of the pancakes one recent morning.
(Photos by Michael Hall/ The Brunswick
News photos) |
It’s 8 a.m. on a quiet Friday morning
at the Glynn County Fire Department headquarters on Old Jesup Road.
Some firefighters sit outside in the
cool morning mist, talking a bit before starting their 24-hour shifts.
Others go about the business of
ending their workdays, organizing equipment and cleaning around the station
before clocking out.
Most of those just coming in to work,
like J.D. Cody, had one thing on their minds – breakfast.
“It makes the day go well,” he said.
Before long, Cody and fellow
firefighter Larry Hoewischer are hard at work in the kitchen, moving with the
precision and ease of professionally trained chefs.
On this morning, like most, the menu
is rich and filling: Fried eggs, grits, and sausage cooked in large skillets on
a six-eye commercial grade stove, with pancakes sizzling on a separate griddle.
Feeding the nine hungry firefighters
in a normal shift isn’t always easy, especially considering the nature of the
job.
Countless meals have been left
half-cooked or half-eaten, interrupted by the wail of an emergency call coming
in, said Chief Al Thomas.
“After about the third time heating
up a slaw dog, it looses its appeal,” he said.
But the chance a call could come in
at any moment doesn’t deter the shift cooks from going all out for a meal, said
Hoewischer, the unofficial designated cook for his shifts.
“Breakfast is big, but dinner is
bigger,” he said, adding that the dinner menu has more variety and often more
people.
“People are always stopping by to
eat,” said Hoewischer.
Firehouse gumbo
Search for firehouse cookbooks on
Amazon.com and at least 15 books appear. Though none are from the
Glynn County Fire Department, they did provide a seafood gumbo
recipe for you to try at home.
Warning: The recipe provided is not
always cooked the same way at the firehouse. Much of it is
eye-balled and seasoned to taste without looking at a recipe. Use
your own discretion to determine the amounts for your taste.
Roux
Start by making a roux as a base for the
broth.
3 cups oil or bacon drippings
3 cups flour
Cook the oil and flour very slowly,
constantly stirring to keep the flour mixed. Cook until the color is
a dark brown. This requires a lot of attention and should be
prepared before starting the rest of the gumbo.
Gumbo
4 pounds seafood (shrimp, oysters,
crabmeat, and fish)
2 large cans of whole kernel corn
2 large cans of canned tomatoes
4 cups uncooked rice, cooked separately
6 celery stalks
1 pound fresh okra
3-4 tablespoons creole or cajun
seasoning
5-6 tablespoons hot sause
1-2 quarts water
When the roux is ready, add vegetables,
seasoning, water, and cooked rice into a large pot. Cook slowly over
low heat for several hours, preferably all day, adding seafood
periodically so as not to overcook the meat. Keep tasting and
seasoning to your preference as it continues to cook.
Cooking the gumbo this way will feed
more than 15 people. Adding your choice of vegetables or seasoning
is recommended. This style of homemade, off the cuff cooking is a
tradition of firehouse chefs, and gives you the chance to make the
recipe your own.
– Michael Hall |
He cooks two meals a day during his
24-hour shift, breakfast and dinner. Lunch is usually leftovers warmed up from
the night before.
Thomas said having good, freshly
prepared food keeps morale in the station high.
“You live here 33 percent of the year
so the goal is to make it fit your lifestyle at home as close as you can,” he
said.
On this morning, everyone seems
jolly. Hoewischer and Cody joke around while preparing breakfast in the large
kitchen, where old fire helmets decorate a wall above the cabinets.
All is quiet in the common room. A
nearby television is tuned to the Fox News Channel, which reports on wildfires
in California and floods in Texas. Lt. E.A. Poppell checks her e-mail.
There is plenty of down time in the
day of a firefighter, though the tradeoff is they must be at the station and
ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Glynn County firefighters work shifts
of 24 hours on and 48 hours off. Some may choose to work overtime, which is two
consecutive shifts, meaning 48 hours straight on the clock.
Every attempt is made to staff each
shift with the same personnel, in order to create a team environment. Because
firefighters are placed in dangerous situations on an almost daily basis,
building close camaraderie is important.
Keeping shifts the same also makes it
easier to keep the food straight between the three refrigerators that line the
wall across the kitchen from the stove.
“It keeps the thievery down,” said
Hoewischer.
As he dumps the sausage in a glass
baking dish, Cody finishes the pancakes and breakfast is served.
Hoewischer walks to the bunkroom next
door and picks up a microphone to the public address system.
“Lets eat!” he announces.
Within minutes, everyone is gathered
around the table, passing bowls and filling plates just like a big family.
In a firehouse, good food is good
fuel for a day in which anything could happen.
