When Christmas is a working day

FRIDAY, DEC. 23: For the hundreds of men and women of the emergency services, Christmas lights are blue.

And they usually have a wailing siren soundtrack rather than Christmas carols.

While everyone else enjoys their Christmas break, firefighters, police officers and hospital staff give up their time with their families to help keep everyone else safe over the holidays.

Veteran firefighter Maxwell Burgess said: “It can be tough – my wife met me when I was a firefighter, so she knew what it was all about. For people who have just joined, the first Christmas working and away from their families, it will be harder. We have some guys with young families so it’s hard for them.”

The 28-year firefighter said son Zeko, 17, and stepson Zayne, 27, were older now, but he’d miss seeing his great-nephews and nieces tearing open their presents on Christmas morning.

But he added: “We have to be here 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s about protecting the public and we never forget that.”

The 46-year-old, from St George’s, said: “What we’re called out to at this time of year is mostly road accidents. Some people enjoy themselves too much and use Christmas as an excuse to drink and drive and others, the stress gets too much for them and people can get unwell.

“But it’s the road traffic accidents which are most concerning to me. We never like to see anyone get messed up in an accident, especially at Christmas. It’s always hard when someone gets hurt or even killed and it’s worse at this time of year.”

At the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, emergency room nurses Tammoi Jarrett will be working Christmas Eve and Christmas night.

Ms Jarrett, mum to three-year-old Joshua, said: “Once I put on my uniform, Joshua understands I need to go to work. It is hard, but he understands I’m a nurse and that it’s an important job and we have to be here.

The 32-year-old from Southampton added: “But, as he grows older, it’s harder to leave him at this time of the year.”

Drink-driving

Emergency room colleague Kate Andrews, 32, originally from England, will also be putting in shifts on the hospital’s frontline over the festive season.

Ms Andrews said: “Drinking and driving and people getting into accidents, that’s main problem. We can also see a few people injured in fights.

“But, from experience, we can be fairly quiet — people tend not to want to be in an emergency room at this time of the year unless they have to be.”

Police Sergeant Terry Trott has drawn day duty on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the late shift New Year’s Eve.

The Sergeant for D Watch in Hamilton said: “The job is a bit difficult at times – but someone’s got to do it.

“I’ve been in the job for 15 years now – I’d like to say you get used to it, but you don’t really. But because it happens a lot, you find ways to deal with it.

“The last few years haven’t been as busy as they used to be – but holiday times in general mean people being off work with alcohol involved – you tend to see domestic incidents and accidents.

“But on behalf of colleagues in the police, I’d like to wish everyone a safe, peaceful and happy Christmas.”