News and Information From
Violet Township A Meal at The Firehouse By Lt. Allison Bookless
Unfortunately, meals are never promised at the firehouse because the job comes first. Emergency calls happen and often the grocery shopping, meal preparation and consumption of the meal is delayed. Firefighters and staff are regularly seen walking through the local grocery store and dashing out before they’ve finished their shopping. Once they complete the call, they return to the grocery store, find their grocery cart, and finish like they’ve never left the store. The meals vary depending on two things: who is cooking and what is on sale at the grocery store. The work schedule is a 24-hour shift, so firefighters and staff must rely on eating lunch and dinner at the fire station. In central Ohio, the average daily meal ranges from $10 to $15 per person. That money comes out of the workers pocket and is collected by the cook. Firefighters prefer making their meals from scratch since it’s an opportunity to build relationships, bond as a family and learn to work together. The Violet Township Fire Department spends 33 percent of their lives together. Many holidays are spent away from families and many times they witness horrible events together. Meals become a time to come together as one family to laugh, joke, discuss the day and give thanks. The concept of a firehouse meal goes far deeper than eating lunch or dinner together. The time-honored profession carries many traditions. Meals are just one of those traditions. Firefighters cherish the history of the fire service
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and honor those that came before them. Traditions range from having a Dalmatian as a mascot, the rookie answering the phone, the tolling of the bell, playing bagpipes and pizza Saturday. The Saturday dinner menu seldom varies – it’s pizza, homemade pizza. Each station’s pizza tastes slightly different, but it embodies a time-honored tradition of the firefighting culture. People who eat together come together. Firefighters come together in all aspects of the job. The Violet Township firefighters unite at fire and EMS scenes, daily trainings, house chores and during meals. Mealtime together feeds their bodies, but it also builds their morale and improves camaraderie. In a job such as firefighting, regularity is rare. Therefore, mealtime can provide that regularity and uphold one of the many traditions in the fire service. As a side note, the VTFD hopes everyone has stayed healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We truly appreciate the support received from the community, ranging from donations of personal protective equipment to food provided to the crews. We continue to be here for you during this unprecedented time. If you need to contact us with questions, please call 614-837-4123. As always, we are your “Friends for Life.” www.pickeringtonmagazine.com
