MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — Members of the Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire Department took a respite from their firefighting duties last week to prove that not only can they take the heat, they can dish it out, too.
The Fire Department hosted a chili cook-off and open house Thursday evening.
Each of the department’s four working groups and call firefighters competed in the cook-off, vying for the title of top chili maker. Members of the public were invited to attend, sample the chili and vote for their favorite.
The chili cook-off winners were call firefighters Dylan Wolniewicz, Joe Sanfilippo, Rick Curran, Mark Bruno, Sarah King and Phil Cicala.
The event was held in conjunction with National Fire Safety Month, Fire Chief James “Jake” McNeilly said.
“This event serves as an opportunity for the community to meet their firefighters, check out the equipment used by the Fire Department, educate residents on fire prevention, and foster unity among the Fire Department staff,” he said.
During the community gathering, members of the public also sampled hot dogs, heard music, were taken on tours of the station and saw safety demonstrations by fire officials.
Stephen Hagan may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or shagan@gloucestertimes.com.