a visiting firemen

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you share with me your opinion concerning the usage of the expression in bold in the following sentences?

Ever since the Buddhist trouble started, the local correspondents have been very hostile to Cung. So he’s started feeding out comment through visiting firemen: representatives of the foreign Catholic press, magazine writers and stringers for odd journals who drift in and of Saigon, looking for features. (M. West, “The Ambassador”)

The president’s wife is a hopeless alcoholic and I’ve had to do the entertaining of the visiting firemen. (J. O’Hara, “Elizabeth Appleton”)

a visiting fireman = an eminent, notorious, important guest, a man of mark

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

[Tdol]

You're right, though it's not a phrase I have come across before.

[SoothingDave]

It would be "a visiting fireman" in the singular, wouldn't it?