Everyone celebrates the holidays differently including at Cal Fire Station 21, where traditions fit in while firefighters are still on the clock.
“It’s just a big family that’s all we are," said Garrett Carney, Station 21 Fire Captain.
Chritsmas morning began with firefighters preparing for their shift. They then took part in a Christmas inspired twelve days of Christmas workout.
“So it goes from one to 12 and you do number one which is a 100 meter row and then you do number two and then number one again and then three, and then three, two one. Four, three, two, one all the way down to 12.”
Carney told KSBY they have a traditional gift exchange.
“This year we got new coffee mugs for everybody at the station and some airport staff and our battalion chief,” Carney said.
Another Christmas tradition at this station is enjoying Christmas dinner with family and friends who can make it. Carney says it’s a group effort.
“One person does this, one person does that," Carney said. "And then there’s a lot of camaraderie that goes into the kitchen and the dining room table here at the fire house, especially on holidays.”
The community also chips in.
“A lot of our community members bring in sweets and treats and pies and cookies which we’re always grateful for,” Carney added.
One of those community members, Peter Brazil, who used to volunteer at Station 21.
“All of these guys who are here at the stations are stuck here and they can’t spend the holidays with their families necessarily unless they come by or something like that so I wanted to bring something for them because you can’t just be here without the holiday spirit,” Brazil said.
Brazil says it’s not his first year doing this.
“So the first year I made them from scratch and that was probably four years ago," Brazil said. "So this is probably my fourth or fifth year but now I do the take and bake one.”
And although Christmas at a fire house looks a little different, it still brings that familial holiday spirit.
“I talk to all these people every day on duty off duty and so coming in and spending time at work its. I love working holidays,” Carney said.
