MANCHESTER — Monday evenings at the Manchester Fire House are for truck and equipment inspections, general clean-up and organization, and meetings – but the most recent Monday evenings have also been devoted to planning for the organization's upcoming pancake breakfasts.

Second Assistant Chief Bill Beideman looked around and sighed, acknowledging that it had been a "long day at work, and now we're here." But, his face lit up as he looked around at the buzz of activity. Like bees in a hive, the crews were busily tidying the bays, organizing equipment, cleaning, lugging stuff about, and checking off lists.

"We're trying to straighten up a bit," laughed Beideman. "You know, we're good at taking things out, not so good at putting them away... Sometimes, it's lipstick on a pig, but it's getti

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