Commending firefighters who work on Christmas

While many of us are rocking around the Christmas tree, first responders are working hard to keep our community safe.

It can be tough working the holidays instead of spending it with your family and friends.

“It’s just like any other day. You come in, you check your trucks out, you do whatever you need to do,” said Alejandro Llanten, a firefighter and paramedic.

Spending Christmas on the clock may not be everyone’s first choice.

“The day has been pretty busy. That’s usually how the holidays are,” Llanten said.

But when you’re doing what you love…

“Once I got in, I fell in love with the camaraderie. I fell in love with the skills and the competitions, and then I decided that this is what I wanted to do in my career,” Llanten said.

It’s a close second. Lentan joined the cadet program by the Florida Fire Chiefs Association at age 15. There, he learned skills to put his foot in the door in the fire academy and then landed a job at Estero Fire Station 41 at 19.

“My favorite part of the job is that I’m able to come in every day and make a difference for either how small or big [it’s] gonna be,” Llanten said.

Working a 24-hour shift, he spent his Christmas morning at the station and the rest of the day out in the community.

“There’s always a large amount of call volume whether going from [the] EMS side or fireside, and typically during the holiday season, a lot of people do come down, and you see a ramp up and stuff, but for the most part, it’s a steady flow business, but you never know what you’re gonna get,” he said.

Llanten said anyone interested in becoming an EMT or firefighter should take advantage of the cadet program.

He thanks the program for bringing him to where he is today, even if it means working on a holiday.