Every shift at the East Hamphill firehouse starts off the same, everyone on shift is assigned house duties for day. For each 24 hour-long shift everyone has tasks to complete, and for two people that task is cooking. Each day the people assigned to cook, pick their menu; create a shopping list and then head to the grocery store.

Like many full time fire departments, East Hamphill does not provide the food for firefighters. Everyone chips in money to buy meals and snacks. In addition because they are on duty the chefs for the day will travel to the store in a fire apparatus. East Hamphill’s policy is for only the two chefs go into the store, others assigned to the apparatus for the day stay in the vehicle.

This morning chef duties fell on Lt. Connelly and FF Artus. The shopping trip started off normal enough. The Lt and FF were dropped off, then the apparatus went to park off to the side of the parking lot.

The two fire department employees worked their way around the grocery store collecting the items on the shopping list. Until Lt Connelly hear his name being yelled. The Lt turned around to see Mayor Johnson.

“I started to say ‘hi’ to the Mayor but before I could blurt anything out he launched into this tirade. He demanded to know why a fire truck filled with firemen, was parked outside while two other firemen are shopping. He then pointed at items in our cart and quested the fire department food budget based on the high quality foods were buying. When I tried to explain he would not let me, he just kept up on his berating us.”

Firefighter Artus noticed that the Mayor was also pushing a shopping cart. In the Mayors cart was various snack type foods and a bottle of top shelf Whisky. By this point other civilian shoppers were listening to the mayor and making comments in support of the Mayor. On a whim FF Artus pulled out his cell phone and called the Mayor’s office.

“Everyone tells me I do a spot on impression of the Fire Chief. So when the Mayors assistant answered I acted like the Fire Chief and said I needed to talk to the Mayor. She told me the Mayor was busy in a meeting with the City Attorney. I asked if that means the Mayor was down stairs in the CA’s office and she said no, the Mayor was with the CA in the Mayor’s officer. He had given orders not to be disturbed.”

FF Artus goes on to explain he asked for clarification from the assistant. Then put his cell on speaker and keyed the microphone on his portable radio. The assistant then said “sir I already told you. The Mayor is in his office right now, in a very important meeting. He said he is not to be disturbed and I will have him call you when his meeting is over.” FF Artus said by broadcasting this over the radio it recorded the conversation in the city dispatch center.

The mayor finally stopped and asked the Lt “well do you have anything to say or are you just going to stand there like a useless idiot?” When the Lt did not instantly respond the Mayor turned to FF Artus and asked for his explanation.

Without a moments hesitation FF Artus asked the Mayor when his meeting with the CA ended. The Mayor shocked by the question did not vocalize a response. So FF Artus then launched into an explanation on how he just called the Mayor’s office and was told the Mayor was in a meeting. The crowd quickly turned their looks of contempt from the two firefighters to the Mayor.

The Mayor quickly stormed off saying he would have the insubordinate firefighters disciplined as soon as he was back in his office. As of this writing the Mayor has refused to take phone calls from us or from the real fire chief.