Andy Anderson is a former Firefighter & First Responder for Suqualena VFD, Paramedic with Metro Ambulance, former part-time SWAT Medic with DPS backing up MBN & MHP. He currently works as a part-time Deputy with Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department’s SWAT Team, ER Physician at a Level I Trauma Center, Medical Director for Central Mississippi EMS District, and Medical Director for Hinds CC Paramedic program. He also teaches firearms classes at Boondocks Firearms Training Academy.
Andy AndersonBy Andy Anderson
Cold weather has a way of stirring up fond memories, and one that comes to mind involves a winter night on B Shift when Sheila and I were partners.
As anyone working a 24- or 48-hour shift knows, planning dinner becomes a top priority early in the day. With a cold front blowing in, Sheila and I brainstormed what we could make to warm ourselves up. Naturally, I suggested chili—I’m rather proud of my recipe, which requires a long, slow simmer in a crockpot to blend the flavors perfectly.
We realized we’d need to make a trip to one of our homes to grab a crockpot. On the way, one of us (probably Sheila) jokingly said, “You know what would really go with chili? A big pitcher of margaritas.”
Of course, drinking on shift was out of the question, but I had an idea.
“Why don’t we get some of those frozen Bacardi Margarita Mixers and just skip the tequila?” It seemed like the perfect compromise, but now we also needed a blender.
After picking up the crockpot and blender, we stopped at the grocery store, loaded up on chili ingredients, and grabbed about six cans of the frozen mixers.
Back at the station, we prepped the chili, set it to simmer in the crockpot, and filled the freezer with our virgin margarita mix. Every time we returned to the station between calls, the aroma of the chili greeted us, and our mouths watered.
As usual, the shift got busy, and by the time we finally had a chance to eat, we were starving. Both crews gathered at the base station, everyone with a heaping bowl of chili and tall glasses of frosty green “margaritas.” The blender was working overtime, and the counter was littered with empty cans of Bacardi Margarita Mixers.
That’s when Clayton Cobler, our boss and the Director of Metro Ambulance, walked in.
He immediately commented on the amazing smell of the chili and glanced around the room. The sight of everyone sipping frozen green drinks next to a pile of empty Bacardi cans must have been a sight to behold. He didn’t say a word about the drinks, but as he turned to go upstairs to his office, the silence in the room was deafening.
We exchanged nervous glances. What was he thinking? Was he going to assume we were drinking on duty? Would he believe us if we explained they were virgin margaritas?
To my surprise, he never said anything. When he came back downstairs later, he deliberately avoided looking at the counter. Maybe he didn’t notice the cans, or maybe he was giving us the benefit of the doubt—or perhaps he just didn’t want to know. Whatever the case, he let it slide, and we let the moment pass unaddressed.
Looking back, it’s one of the most memorable dinners I’ve had on shift. Whether Clayton knew the truth or not, I’ll always laugh at the idea that, for one fleeting moment, he might have believed the base station was full of drunk medics.
These moments of camaraderie and humor are what make the job unforgettable. Reflecting on them reminds me why it’s so important to preserve these stories before time dulls the details.
