It has been cold at the Volunteer Hose Company for the last two summers. Every year, the Middletown Police Department has defeated us in a local contest that is second only to the Big Ball Marathon, the Bruster’s Ice Cream Eating Contest. Wallowing in defeat, the team from last year refused to participate in the contest again. We had to pull it together, but how? The lean diet pizza and cheese steaks that we follow here does not condition us to combat the dreaded ice cream headache. To make matters worse, the police were veteran competitors. Not only had they won the Ice Cream Eating Contest two years running, they were coming from a recent victory over the Odessa Fire Company in the sub making contest at the new Wawa. We had seen their new batch of seasonal officers, and they looked hungry. Late in the day on Thursday, it was still unclear if we would have a team. Last year’s team was still inconsolable with grief over their loss and could not be persuaded so we would need to find some new blood. That’s when EMS Captain Phil Smith came in and, hearing of the contest, immediately swung into action. He began tossing out names and making phone calls until he was able to get the four that he needed: Pat “Lanky” Langshaw-One of the eaters from the first competition and the only returning member Sean “Spider” Webber-An accomplished eater, but one that was fearing the headache T.J. “Wheel” Barrow-The former EMS officer on the comeback trail Shayne “Cupcake” Suess-An aspiring high schooler with an appetite With the team assembled, they set off to Brusters with their eyes on the prize. The police looked confident. Led by Officer Brenner, the seasonal officers wore their yellow competition shirts (complete with epaulets) in an effort to intimidate the young firemen. The clock was set for five minutes and the race began. The hot, muggy weather bore down on the two teams as they began to devour ice cream by the pint. The competition went back and forth, but when the final bell tolled, the Hose Company was victorious. Children cheered in the streets and the church bells rang all over town as the trophy was awarded to Captain Smith and his vanilla-mustached gang. They boarded Rescue 27 for a victory parade that will long be remembered in this town and then returned to their West Green Street headquarters for a celebration that included wet nuts and sprinkles. See you next year, Officer Brenner!