Vallejo firefighter to defend cooking title for a good cause

April 08--When James Brunson isn't putting out fires in Vallejo, he's heating up the kitchen.

So it was no surprise that the 28-year veteran Vallejo firefighter was chosen last year to represent Vallejo in the Blazing Hot Firefighter Competition charity event, hosted by the Civil Service Employees Insurance Group.

Brunson will return Saturday to the third annual event in San Francisco as the reigning champion. He also will be raising money for the Solano Napa Firefighters Foundation.

And he's not sweating it.

"I'm looking forward to my family showing up, a lot of the guys from the fire department showing up, and to just put something decent together," the 49-year-old Vallejo man said.

His passion for cooking began by growing up with a father who used to cook big breakfasts and nice dinners. Years later, he also married Amy, who has restaurant experience, and to whom he credited many of his skills.

"She's the better cook," Brunson said, "She's the one who taught me all that I know."

At last year's event, Brunson and his celebrity chef partner wowed the judges' palate with their "Bartender's Pizza." Although Brunson had made his own pizzas before, he had never used a brick oven.

"It's actually a big deal to actually use the big (pizza) paddle properly," he said.

Like last year, Brunson will not know until Saturday what awaits him and his chef partner at the competition.

However, that shouldn't be too much of a challenge for the firefighter, who enjoys cooking up Italian dishes and creating something from whatever is in the pantry.

"I enjoy mixing something from what is available. ... That comes naturally to me," he said.

One would think that ability comes from having to cook at fire stations with limited ingredients, but he disagreed.

"It comes from being hungry," Brunson said with a laugh.

A familiar face will also be part of the Saturday event, with former Vallejo fire chief Paige Meyer as one of the judges. However, Brunson said that doesn't necessarily mean an advantage for him.

"He's left Vallejo, so I don't know," he said.

Meyer is now the chief of the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District.

In his spare time, Brunson and his wife cater for friends and family events.

"I really enjoy seeing the people really like what you made," he said.

If he is a repeat champion, Brunson would win $5,000 for the Solano Napa Firefighters Foundation.

Also competing are firefighters from San Francisco, Palo Alto and Oakland. Each has a chance to raise some money for the charity of their choice, regardless of how they finish in the competition. Additionally, the insurance group and Firefighter Insurance Services also will donate $12,500 to the Fire Family Foundation at the event.

Saturday will be Brunson's last run at the competition with an upcoming retirement in a couple of months.

"Who knows, they might call me to be a judge," the man said.

Saturday's event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Butterfly Restaurant at Pier 33, San Francisco. For more information, visit www.cseinsurance.com/firefighterevent/.

Contact staff writer Irma Widjojo at (707) 553-6835 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @IrmaVTH

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