Christmas Eve will be bittersweet for Bernie Rodriguez as he leaves his Washington Heights neighborhood and clocks in for a long shift at Engine 44 in New York City’s Upper East Side.
Rodriguez, a 16-year FDNY fire fighter and member of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association of New York Local 94, will miss his family. But he has a job to do, like thousands of IAFF members across the United States and Canada running calls on Christmas.
The holiday is a big time for Rodriguez’s sprawling Dominican family, with parties, family time, and countless blissful dad moments hunting for AAA batteries to get the kids’ new toys running.
He is still proud to go to work for a big city that needs protection, especially around the holidays.
“We all know what we miss when it’s our turn to work Christmas,” said Rodriguez. “The truth is, I am looking forward to sharing Christmas with the people I work alongside every shift.”
Rodriguez will be with his “second family” doing the job he loves in a place he affectionately calls “The Christmas House.” Engine 44 will be well decorated, and there will be plenty of food and a special holiday vibe that only those who love their work get to feel.
As with any shift, Christmas Day can be unpredictable. One never knows how many or what kinds of calls will come to the engine house nestled in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. There could be cooking fires, electrical fires, weather-related injuries, or an occasional call to aid an inebriated citizen. If there is a silver lining, there are far fewer vehicles on Manhattan streets over Christmas, so it’s easier for the apparatus to maneuver.
Hundreds of miles to the South, Capt. David Garcia has drawn the Christmas shift straw for the second year in a row. Complicating matters, his wife’s birthday falls on Christmas Eve.
Garcia, who has been in the fire service for 17 years and is a member of Miami Fire Fighters Local 1510, said he is not disappointed, even though he will have to enjoy family time with his wife and two boys after his shift.
I remember those holidays when I was not working, and I’d see a fire truck driving by. I’d know they were out there keeping my family safe. I am proud to do my part.
Miami Local 1520 Capt. David Garcia
“I know what I signed up for, and I am extremely committed to my work,” said Garcia. “I remember those holidays when I was not working, and I’d see a fire truck driving by. I’d know they were out there keeping my family safe. I am proud to do my part.”
Like Rodriguez in New York City, Garcia knows he can look forward to a festive vibe. He may also get a Christmas Day visit from his wife and two boys, who made a surprise visit last Thanksgiving Day when he was called for duty.
For Scott Wilkey, a 20-year fire fighter and member of Houston Professional Fire Fighters Local 341, the Christmas shift most often feels like just another day. For one thing, December weather conditions in Houston seldom present a winter wonderland. Wilkey also has been doing this for a while. He worked Christmas for about three-quarters of those 20 years on the job.
Like many fire fighters, Wilkey often covers holiday shifts for his brothers and sisters since his children are now of college age. “I like to pay it forward for all those times when my children were younger, and someone stepped up for me.”
Wilkey’s advice for Holiday revelers: “Don’t be in a hurry. Take it easy. Lean on each other. The spirit of Christmas still exists. And if you need help, the Houston fire fighters will be there to assist.”
