Cooking with Fire (and Rescue)

Ask any firefighter around the world and they will tell you their station is like a home and their team of firefighters is like a family. There is an amazing bond with firefighters all round the world due to the nature of their work and like all families the ritual of the table and the family meal is a great place to reinforce this bond, unwind and have a laugh. 

This factual series will take you inside the fire stations of Fire Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW), where we will have a privileged glimpse into the world of firefighters and the unique culture of the Firefighter Station Meal. Meal time for ‘fireys’ is a universal part of their home away from home. As they work together on 24-hour shifts, supporting each other in the most dangerous of situations, behind the scenes they come together for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  

In between drills, equipment checks and standing by for calls to emergencies, they frequently cook, often together, sometimes led by a passionate Firey/Foodie, who loves the chance to get on the pans and cook up some comfort grub for the team. Like all of us, the food brings them to the table, they eat, the talk, they bond, they share stories… and more often than not, the food is left cold on the table when that bell rings. 

This docu-series will be a cooking show like no other. The food, the cooking, the endlessly entertaining interactions of firefighters and of course the eating will drive this observational action, yet the context of these heroes on call will be on a constant simmer. We will watch firefighter’s cook and share recipes, recipes that suit todays busy lifestyles and budgets. One pot dishes, slow cook meals, smoked meats and fast fry ups frequently inspired by the culture and flavours of their surroundings. From the Fire and Rescue Station kitchen inspired by spices of Harris Park at 27 station, Parramatta, to the cultural melting pot of the Middle Eastern and Chinese community at 52 station Campsie, to the bustling headquarters on Castlereagh St, 1-Station Sydney NSW oldest operating fire station . The food and cooking will be our entrée into the lives and stories of these heroic chefs and the culture of the fire and rescue station and how they become a family at the table. 

Underpinning this cooking and eating activity will be the opportunity for intimate character portraits of the diverse personalities that suit up for FRNSW. A culturally and linguistically diverse workforce which will not only flavour the food that is cooked but the stories and experiences shared. Indeed, the world and action of the teams as they work at the station and have to leave for emergencies will provide an insightful, informative and engaging backdrop for a cooking show spiced observational docu-series. 

Proposing 8 X 30 min Docu-series