Finding time for Thanksgiving at work

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Many emergency responders spend time away from family during Thanksgiving… but they still find ways to keep the holiday spirit while working.

At Emerson Ambulance many of the personnel have spent years in the industry so being away from family during Thanksgiving is common and for Alan Poole, a paramedic, it’s something his family has been used to since he was 22.

“My mom and my dad my brother and sister they’re all really understanding,” he said.

Some families can struggle when a family member is away at work for Thanksgiving but also understand their loved one has an important job.

“They’re sad, but they know that I’m out there making a difference so that kind of comforts them and makes them feel better,” Lindsey Davis, a dispatcher, said.

Even though they are away from family the crew at Emerson Ambulance tries to keep the Thanksgiving spirit alive.

“We got our potluck going on, our food, trying to make it as close to being at home as possible,” Davis said.

Emergency personnel can spend hours waiting for a call, or make a couple of calls per hour but they work hard to make sure the call doesn’t turn into a tragedy.

“Everyone that goes into the ambulance, try to treat them like as if they were your family, if you treat them like they’re your family, then you’re going to give them the absolute best quality of care and set them up for a speedy recovery,” Poole said.