Keeping people safe and healthy doesn’t take a holiday

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The holiday season is usually a time for family togetherness, but not everybody gets Christmas off from work.

Kaitlyn Yeatman spoke with emergency personnel about working  Christmas and being away from family.

For emergency personnel, like Kim Truesdale, Christmas is just another shift.

“That is part of the job. When you sign on for the job you know that emergencies and illnesses do not happen on a schedule. People get sick during the holidays and we need to be here to take care of them.”

Some emergency personnel try to find ways to bring the holiday spirit to work with them.

ER Nurse Practitioner Kim Truesdale says they may put together a holiday feast with their work family.

“We may decide to cook a meal to bring up here. You know, we celebrate with each other because basically work family so we may not be with our real family but we are here with our work family, so we celebrate anyway.”

Sometimes the community will step in.

Columbus Fire Captain Damon Estes said they are often brought food when working the holiday shift.

“Churches will sometimes bring things by and individuals that will bring, a lot of times it is food and leftovers from different events. We have a very good community here and is very supportive of us so it does help the engine companies fell appreciated.”

Many emergency personnel choose to gather with their family another day.