By Frank E. Vaerewyck, “The Firehouse Foodie”
Individuality makes us all come together.
Individuality makes up the world and, to be honest, how boring would life be if we were all the same? I was at work at the station, assigned to the engine on a pretty laid-back Saturday afternoon. I decided to wash and detail my car, so after washing it at the rear of the station, where the water hose is, I drove the car around to the front and backed it into the first bay. The brush truck, which is normally parked there, was out doing driver training. I was vacuuming out the interior while the other guys were doing what they wanted to do: Dutch was taking a nap, Nathan was watching YouTube videos about low rider trucks, and young Singles (his dad, Old Man Singles, is one of our lieutenants) was talking to his girlfriend somewhere quiet where we couldn’t make fun of him. Individually we all had things that interested us, but then the tones dropped for a fire alarm and we all came together, stopping what we were doing, dropping it just like that, to converge on that big red truck parked in the second bay and go to work not as individuals but as one unit.
Stepping out of the truck at the end of the call, I began thinking how great this was. Here we were, four individuals with different tastes, likes, and interests and different ideas on how to spend our downtime, but when the time came, four individuals with the same training and passion came together, each with an individual role that made up one unit. I know I have spoken about teamwork before, but this goes much deeper. This is the heart of the fire service. This is what allows us to do the extraordinary things that people think we can do. It’s not about being extraordinary; it’s about good training and having the confidence and will to do what others won’t.
Recently, Dutch finished his time in the U.S. Navy and, after almost a week of heartfelt good- byes, he left us and headed back home to Alaska. I said before that individuality makes up the world, and I asked how boring life would be if we were all the same. I’m glad we’re not, because I can honestly say there’s only one Dutch–a genuinely nice guy, there are very few like him. He left such a mark on all the lives he touched, and there isn’t a person in that department who can’t wait to hear the war stories and see Dutch again. We had the opportunity to get one last picture together, and Dutch thanked me for being his friend, and he said to me, in that moment, “We didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, but the little time we did spend really meant something.” You’re right, Dutch, it sure did, Buddy.
In the kitchen it really isn’t much different, whether in a professional kitchen, a firehouse kitchen, or your home kitchen. The executive chef, the sous chef, the line cook, the rookie, the tower driver, your son, daughter, or spouse, they all are individuals who come together to help make a wonderful, delicious creation that everyone will enjoy. I really enjoyed having Dutch help in the kitchen at the station, even if he did just sit around and talk a lot. We were making memories that will be cherished long after the meals are forgotten, and “That’s Bringing the Firehouse Home.”
Savory Cream Cheese Dip with Toasted Baguette Slices
Ingredients:
24-inch French bread
8 ounces whipped cream cheese
2 tsp diced fresh Italian parsley
2 diced fresh green onion
Directions:
1. Toast French bread in oven at 375ºF for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Cut into ¼-inch-thick slices.
3. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and spread on slices. Enjoy!
Frank Vaerewyck has had a passion for the fire service that has spanned 20 years. He has been a volunteer and career firefighter and is currently a firefighter/EMT with the Manassas (VA) Volunteer Fire Company. He has passed on his passion for the fire service through instruction and mentorship. That same passion he has for the fire service is shared with his love of food. In 2006, Vaerewyck won an Iron Chef-style competition sponsored by a radio station in Richmond, Virginia. That is where he also furthered his education by attending a Culinary Arts Program. As the Firehouse Foodie, he has been compiling recipes to be included in a cookbook that will give others the opportunity to see their hometown heroes not just as firefighters, but as the firehouse chefs they truly are.
