4 reasons the holidays are the best time to be a first responder

Being a first responder can suck. In fact, it often does suck... Yes, there are some clear benefits to being a part of the first responder family, but it's grueling work that never stops. You've gotta be a special kind of person to put yourself on the line like that, day in, day out.

But there's a silver lining to first responder life. One of the most underrated benefits of being a first responder is the special holiday treatment. It's hard to describe and really has to be experienced to be appreciated, but you're here already, so we'll do our best.

The holiday season is the one time when being a first responder might be the best job to have.

This is what the average Security Forces gate shack looks like by noon, Christmas Day.

(The Japan Times)

The food

This one is actually specifically for my Security Forces/Master of Arms/Military Police family. Our firefighter brothers and our siblings in the ambulances don't typically face the same struggles in getting a simple lunch. Day in and day out, the constant nature of our work makes a daily lunch uncertain (to say the least).

Having that experience really makes the flood of holiday food that much easier to appreciate. It's almost as if the other 11 months of being overworked and under-appreciated are a fair price to pay for all the love we get during this wonderful time of the year.

Something about having the higher-ups serve you gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling.

People are actually nice to you

It may seem like respect is always on the menu when dealing with first responders — and that's true, to a degree. But we're also often treated as though we're invisible. First responders deal with the outside world in the worst of times. If you've dialed 911 and had responders show up at your location, chances are you were having at least a marginally bad day. So, it's easy to see us first responders as inanimate objects — as tools of rescue. Save for a few occasions, we might as well be made of glass.

During the holidays, all of that changes. People understand that having to work on those days is a particular kind of suck that somehow stands out from the rest. This is the one time of the year when everyone sees you. Everyone tries to make you feel better, or, at the very least, expresses genuine care for your well-being.

Believe it or not, the schedule

There's no denying that having to work on these special days is tough. No matter how great you're treated or fed, it isn't an easy undertaking. It messes with you, at least those first few times.

Conversely, working on those days often means some form of holiday schedule. This means about a week straight of work, either followed or preceded by a week of time off. Many of us use that time in conjunction with some leave and end up with a solid lump of time either to ourselves or with our loved ones.

Your work family will be going through the suck alongside you.

(Department of Defense)

Camaraderie

Brotherhood is a standing and well-recognized benefit of being a first responder. During the holidays, first responders have a way of coming together and really being a family.

There are few better bonding moments than sharing some holiday goodies with your work-family over a 12-hour shift.