Emergency Workers’ Christmas Day: Responding to Diverse Incidents, Including Kitchen Fires

The experience of working as an emergency responder on Christmas Day is often diverse and rewarding, encompassing incidents such as burning turkeys, floods, and even new toys for canine partners. The BBC interviewed several ‘blue light’ professionals who are dedicated to assisting their communities today. Andy Richardson, a force incident manager with North Yorkshire Police, has spent almost every Christmas Day of his three-decade career in the force on duty, with today marking his final one before retirement. The 51-year-old stated, “I think it’s really important, not just over Christmas, but any time of the year, to support those people who ring up and want help.” He recalled, “A standout memory for me is working for the 2015 floods on Boxing Day, that was a real challenge for us.” Nine years prior, on Christmas Day, significant floods affected West and North Yorkshire, resulting in evacuations and damage to properties. Today marks the first Christmas for his colleague, Grace Foster, working as a call handler in the force’s control room. Grace, 31, commented, “I’ve only been in this role for a few months and this will be my first Christmas on shift.” She added, “I’m excited about working Christmas, I’ve been told it will be fairly busy. There is quite a demand for the police over the Christmas period.” Foster explained, “My family have all been in the emergency services or worked shifts – my dad was a firefighter and my mum was a nurse. So, growing up, Christmas Day wasn’t on Christmas Day a lot of the time.” She continued, “I’ve heard their stories about things they have dealt with and incidents they attended and it’s nice for me to finally do my bit and give back to the community, especially over Christmas.” Foster remarked, “It just feels that little bit extra – you’re not just giving back, but you are giving back over a period of time that is difficult for quite a lot of people. ” She concluded, “Just being that voice at the end of the phone will leave me with warmth in my heart over Christmas, knowing that I’ve made that slight difference.” Kyle Whyman, a 34-year-old firefighter, has been on call each Christmas since he became part of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service four years prior. He is employed full-time at Shipley Fire Station and also serves as a retained firefighter in Silsden, his home village. Retained firefighters are equipped with a pager and respond to various emergency incidents within their designated on-call hours. Kyle is scheduled to be on call today and Boxing Day. He stated, “I expect it to be busy this year.” He added, “Typical things we get called out to are turkeys on fire in ovens and chimney fires.” Kyle plans to spend the day at his residence with his family, including his two young sons, but must remain prepared for potential call-outs – a requirement that mandates retained firefighters to reside within a five-minute proximity of their station. Whyman commented, “It does impact on family life, I do miss things but the benefits of being part of the local community and helping people far outweighs that. ” He added, “My family understand that Daddy has to break away sometimes.” PC Josh Hunsley, 26, will be accompanied on his shift by his three-year-old police dog, Rhun. He stated, “This will be my fourth time working Christmas Day and it’s just like a normal day at work, the jobs keep coming in, people still misbehave and get themselves in trouble.” Josh serves as a handler in North Yorkshire Police’s dog unit. He and Rhun provide support to the force’s response unit and may be dispatched to diverse assignments, such as violent crime, burglaries, or community gatherings. Hunsley noted, “The community are generally quite happy to see us, there are a few that aren’t but that’s just part of the job.” He continued, “Children will wave and want to come and see the dog and we’re more than happy for them to do that. It’s just about trying to make the most out of it when you’re on that shift.” Rhun, a German Shepherd, resides at home with Josh. The duo is described as “inseparable” and spends each day together. Hunsley remarked, “He is the reason I’ve got a job. What he can do is absolutely fantastic and it baffles me every day.” He added, “There will definitely be a treat or a new dog toy coming his way on Christmas Day.” For additional content, highlights from North Yorkshire are available on BBC Sounds, and the latest episode of Look North can be accessed. Individuals are also invited to submit stories they believe warrant coverage. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is also provided.