By Heather Haddon
Herald News (Passaic County, NJ)
Copyright 2006 North Jersey Media Group Inc.,
All Rights Reserved
The turkey had been carved. A green-bean casserole was still bubbling from the oven. China plates had been produced and set.
Just as the members of the Eastside Fire Station gathered around a long wooden table for Thanksgiving dinner, three beeps sounded. Sadly, it wasn’t an oven timer.
Like that, a full spread of Thanksgiving dinner was abandoned as the two on-duty companies set out to a call at the Speer Village Apartments. They had sweated over the meal for five hours, but there were no complaints. Mostly, there were laughs over the consummation of the inevitable.
“This always happens,” said Ken Payne, 38, as burners in the cozy kitchen were abruptly killed and rubber shoes thrown on. “Whenever we’re about to eat, we get a call.”
For the Hope Avenue fire companies, the “thanks” in Thanksgiving comes when they can actually eat their dinner uninterrupted. They take food seriously, giving a unanimous, “Absolutely” when asked if they cook better than their wives.
But for firefighters, the holiday of basting and drippings means frequent trips to stamp out smoke, grease fires and general panic in local homes. The fires are rarely serious, averaging about 20-minute runs. But the mushroom gravy still suffers.
“It looks like oatmeal,” said John Hayowyk, 31, as he stirred a lukewarm pot of white cream.
Most of the members of Engine Two, Engine Three and Truck Two are old pros at Thanksgiving duty. Firemen work 91, 24-hour shifts a year, and somehow they always seem to fall on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“It’s just like any other day,” said Ricky Figueroa, 36, dressed in his fitted blue uniform. “That’s life in the firehouse.”
Firemen are allotted a three-hour break to go home on the two holidays. Many don’t bother, as the commute would swallow any ounce of family time.
“It’s hard, especially having a 4-year-old,” said Payne, hands thrust deep into his pockets.
Instead, they call their families. Their fridge is filled with sweet potato and apple pies sent by members’ wives and fathers. And they throw themselves into making their own meal.
Hayowyk did most of the shopping ahead of time, the bill totaling about $100 and paid out of their own pockets. But if they forget something, one member can’t pop down to the store. They must be together at all times in the event of a fire.
So, when they find they need onions, they all cruise down to the local Shoprite in one of the fire trucks.
Parking is easy, luckily. “That’s what fire lanes are for,” Payne joked.
The meal is a tightly organized affair, with a schedule broken down by 10 minute intervals during the last hour of cooking. Some members chop and do prep work. Mike Zagorski, 32, and Hayowyk handled the turkey, along with garlic mashed potatoes, seasoned carrots, stuffing, gravy and other sides. The other members clean up.
Thanksgiving is always an undertaking, but even more so when the cooking process gets interrupted and abandoned at any second. Before they ate on Thursday, the companies responded to an EMS call, a vehicle accident, and two incidents of “unattended cooking” (turkey fires).
They’ve learned some tricks, like cooking the turkey in an oven bag so it bastes itself. Don’t put the stuffing inside the bird, as it delays the process. Water, also, instantly brings dry stuffing back to life.
Company members have plenty of practice. They cook 90 percent of their meals while on duty, only occasionally ordering out for Chinese. And there is little room for error.
“The rule is, you try a recipe out four times at home before bringing it here,” Payne said.
Things were looking hopeful at 4:10 p.m. The food had been reheated, lumps stirred, and stuffing brought back to life. The long table was set. Water was poured into Styrofoam cups.
After a moment of hesitation, they decided to start. Xavier Ruaannounced dinner over the intercom, and the dispatch attendant was momentarily relieved from his duties. The football game was shut off. They turned on dinner music.
The excitement was palpable. After some accolades over the presentation, all 10 members sat down to a plate. There was no time or interest in prayer, as at any moment they could get another call. They were just thankful to finally eat.
“All hands on deck,” said Rua, reaching for a fork.