"There's no extra pay for cooking," Cox says. "I just love it." He says he got the job feeding the crew—who spend 24 hours at a time on duty at the station—because "the guys kind of stepped back, and I guess I just took over the role." On his days off, he continues the part by catering for C.B. Hannegan's restaurant in Los Gatos.

During hectic times, meals have been left in the pans as firefighters left to attend to more pressing needs. But during calmer days, the men cheerfully gather at a big, round table to enjoy Cox's culinary creations. "We spend an average of 60 bucks a day at Safeway," notes Beau Rahn, captain of paramedics.

The men agree it's a good investment. They feel one of the most important parts of their day is mealtime. On this particular day, Cox is moving fast between the gas stove in the big gathering room where the men read, watch TV and eat, and a hot barbeque outside where giant chicken apple sausages burst juice onto the red coals. Over the stove, he's sauteéing a full pan of red and green peppers and white onions in ample butter and garlic.

"Everything down here gets garlic," cracks Tony Rainieri. "Even the enchiladas."

A pot of "four-bean surprise" simmers on a back burner, so named because each time it's made, the combination of beans is different.

"He can make a meal out of nothing," says Dan Morino, pitching in to set the table. First on the table are the bottles of ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and gourmet sauce. Next come the paper towels, some big soup bowls, a half-gallon of milk, a bottle of Pepsi and hot dog buns. Then come the beans in the pot, the peppers and onions in the pan, and, finally, the sausages on a plate. Forks spear from all directions as the hungry crew dives into the plump links.

Cox is known for his mud pies and apple cobblers. "And my favorite is his shepherd's pie," pipes up Bill Morrison, captain of the rescue squad, relishing the thought of the meat and potato pie.

Pies of all kinds can be caloric. "I watch out for foods that are too fattening," Cox says. "There are lots of people on diets, so sometimes I make four different meals at a time." Examples of diet success are Morrison and Todd Garde, who have lost a combined 40 pounds on the Atkins diet.

Cox, 28, didn't start out intending to be a cook, or even a fireman. After Los Gatos High (class of '93), he went to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to study civil engineering. "The first class I took was CPR, and I fell in love with it," he recalls. To please his parents, as well as himself, he got his degree but then followed his heart by enrolling in Mission College to become an emergency medical technician. "Eighty-five percent of our emergency calls are medical," he says.

Part-time work during his studies at Mission College honed a flair for cooking that was first evident in his mom's kitchen. His skill enhances the volunteer efforts of the Saratoga Fire Department when it donates dinners to raise money for local schools. But this year the dinners will have to be postponed until after the construction of a new firehouse. Demolition of the existing building, built in the 1920s, should begin Aug. 6.

On Sept. 13, volunteers at the Saratoga Fire Department, 14380 Saratoga Ave., will barbeque chicken during the Saratoga Street Fair. For information, call 408.867.9001 or email http://saratogafire.com.