WHILE many of us are enjoying Christmas Day festivities, emergency services personnel are on the streets doing their jobs.
Having worked in the Redlands for 17 years, paramedic Ross Lewis expects a busy shift from 7am on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Twelve-hour shifts are the standard for paramedics and Mr Lewis has experienced busy Christmas days in the past.
Among the calls they could respond to are incidents involving elderly people taken out of nursing homes to be with family, injuries from alcohol-fuelled fights and accidents from children or their parents trying out Christmas presents.
“It is like any other day for us, although many people are in a good spirit and it’s a happy day,” he said.
Unable to join family for breakfast, lunch or dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, Mr Lewis said he would celebrate with his two children on Friday evening.
In the Queensland Police for 18 months, it will be the first year of working Christmas Day as a police officer for Constable Guy Horton.
Working the afternoon and evening shift from 2pm, the Capalaba police officer said he was fortunate to be able to enjoy a Christmas breakfast with family before heading to work.
His number one message for Christmas Day was for people to be safe while enjoying the festivities.
“Don’t lose sight of safety, and then go and have a good time,” he said.
He said while people would be enjoying themselves, there were also those who were going through a difficult time.
It was a sad time for some people who had lost a loved one or were not with family over Christmas.
Working on Christmas Day, Constable Horton hoped to have the time to stop and chat to people of the Redlands – where he has lived for about 12 years – and exchange Christmas greetings.
“Sometimes we don’t have a lot of time between calls, but it will be nice to have extra time to wish people well and remind them to be safe,” he said.
A firefighter for 18 years, Cleveland station officer Christopher Nealon will celebrate Christmas with his family on December 29.
On Christmas Day he would be with his “other family” at the fire station.
Mr Nealon said partners and younger children may stop by at the fire station for a meal, which could help pass the time if it was quiet.
“But when the bells drop we have got to go,” he said.
“Working on days like Christmas Day is something I have done most of my working life.”
