By Chelsea Vance and Emily Enfinger | The Selma Times-Journal

While some are wrapping last minute Christmas gifts and prepping meals, nurses, doctors, emergency medical technicians and firefighters are still on duty for Christmas Eve.

Janeika Whatley has been a patient care technician at the Vaughan Regional Medical Center for two years. She said there are mixed emotions around the holidays because she would like to be at home with her husband and two children, but understands that she is needed at the hospital as well.

“I would rather be with my babies, but I love my job and taking care of people. This is my passion,” Whatley said.

Firefighter at Woodrow Avenue Station 5 Chadwick Mitchell has gotten used to the schedule for the holidays and said that he knows how to prepare ahead of time.

“We look at the schedule from the first of the year. We know who will be working and who will be off. I’ve been here for 15 years; I’m kind of used to it.”

Shifts are for 24 hours at the fire station. Mitchell came in at 6:45 a.m. and won’t leave until 6:45 a.m. the next morning.

He hopes the department doesn’t have to respond to any serious medical calls or fire that would ruin someone’s Christmas.

But if an emergency happens during the holidays, Emergency Medical Technician for Care Ambulance Phillip Stafford will be on standby.

He said that the workload nearly triples during the holiday season.

“We really don’t have much off time during the holidays,” Stafford said.

Although EMTs don’t have time during the actual holiday to celebrate, Stafford said the staff tries to make a point to eat family dinner together if their schedules allow.

He said that they do have time off for Christmas, but it is usually a week before or a week after Christmas.