Where there's smoke, there's the Station Chef.

Firefighters are heroes. And how do we honor our heroes? Often, it’s by baking for them.

There’s just one problem: All those well-intentioned cookies and cupcakes we drop off at fire stations are adding up to less healthy firefighters—putting all of our lives at risk.

That’s why Martin Lemay is on a mission to help our heroes stay healthy while enjoying great food. Martin is a firefighter at North Port Fire Rescue, where he also cooks for the crew when he’s on duty. He shares his mouthwatering recipes on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, where he’s known as The Station Chef.

We caught up with Martin on his day off, at home in Riverview. In this conversation, he explains why he finds joy and relaxation cooking at home and on the job. He also shares money- and calorie-saving advice he learned at the fire station that we can all use, offers fire safety tips every home cook needs and suggests healthier alternatives for showing our appreciation to first responders.

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