It is normal for many US fire departments' full time members to work 24 hour shifts. So a trip to the grocery store for the day's supplies is a normal event. In New York city it is commonplace to see firefighters in the best gourmet stores - these guys seem to really know about food! If they get a call, the driver takes the radio message and hits the air horns. No mistaking that sound! FDNY are probably the only people in the city who can double park while doing their grocery shopping - a good reason to buy a pensioned-off apparatus?
Added by Rob Johnson on 20 August 2014.