Queen Creek Fire Department

by Jeff Clark
(Queen Creek, AZ USA)

1st Place and 1st time builder

On Wednesday December 10th, I was give an assignment by the Fire Chief, then was handed a small gingerbread house kit and a sheet with the Town's contest rules. I saw the words "Add to" on the rules and had big plans.

I have never before made a gingerbread house, not even as a kid, so I saw a fun challenge written all over this project and it all had to be done in 8 days.

So the Town's HR (Human Resources) department began stirring up a lot of harassing comments and made a big challenge that they would win. Bantering went back and forth over the week before the contest.

I worked on this house at the fire station having a great deal of input from the crews on duty, most of it was completed at home on my days off.
All the fun came to a pinnacle on the day of the Town holiday party. As we unveiled it everyone was ooh'ing and ahh'ing in amazement. Most of the amazement was from people disbelief that fire fighters could be so talented.

We had a great time rubbing it in to the HR staff as we were announced, the First Place winners. Not to say their second place house didn't make me a little concerned, but I was. They did a very nice job and I do congratulate them for that.
The win was made even better by the fact that this is a brand new fire department having been est. January 2008. The Chief was ecstatic about the win and opportunity to rub it in to HR.
I'm proud of this creation and look forward to defending our new title next year.