10:19 AM MDT on Thursday, April 27, 2006

Boise -- Firefighters are used to being in the spotlight for their heroic efforts, but now it's their culinary contributions that are getting attention.

Mike Perry-KTVB

Firefighters are the stars of a new cooking show that features firehouse cuisine. The pilot for "America's Firehouse Chefs" is being filmed in Boise.

Camera crews shot a pilot program Wednesday at a Boise fire station called "America’s Firehouse Chefs."

Will their concept be enough to light the fires of network executives?

Cooking shows are becoming ubiquitous.

There’s even a network devoted entirely to food.

But a local production company doesn't think there are too many cooks in the kitchen just yet.  It’s hoping to turn up the heat on a new firehouse food feature.

"It’s ‘America’s Firehouse Chefs’ and that says it all, we want to criss-cross the country highlighting the locations people are in, the kind of firefighting people do at a particular station and then the local cuisine, we want to highlight that," said Jerry Long, show producer.

Producers are shooting the pilot at Boise station number 7 and selected Brian Martin as their first firehouse chef.

"I’m somewhat surprised and excited and honored," said Martin.

"Brain’s an excellent cook," Dave Hanneman, Boise deputy fire chief. "When he's cooking, everyone's thinking about what's going to be on the plate for dinner."

In this case, the dinner plate will be filled with regional cuisine - wild elk, Idaho potatoes and dessert accented with huckleberries.

But this segment isn't being shot on a closed set; this is a working fire station.

"The engine company and the truck company here are in service, so if they get a call, they're going," said Hanneman.

And that they did, rushing off to a gas leak in the middle of shooting.

But that's the whole point of this show - to capture a slice of life experience through firefighter's eyes, and their appetites.

"There’s a lot of cooking shows, but I haven't seen anything that tries to mix the two, so hopefully that's the unique part of it," said Long.

"I think it's a great idea, there are a lot of different cultures in the fire departments throughout the country. It’s a neat idea," said Martin.

Once it's edited, the pilot program will be shopped around to various networks.  If "America’s Firehouse Chefs" is picked up - it will be produced in Boise.