While many of us will be spending the Christmas holidays with our loved ones, you might just want to think about those who protect us every day from the dangers that can appear from every corner and the ones that come to our aid: first responders.

As per any holiday there will always be police, fire and EMS crews at the ready to deal with tragedies that come with everyday life, and Christmas is no different.

Okotoks Fire Chief Ken Thevenot, who has been a veteran firefighter for decades, says Christmas can be hard on first responders.

"Being a firefighter on those days sometimes is quiet, sometimes we get calls, but when you leave work and you're working Christmas Eve, when you get home you open gifts," he says. "If you're working day shift on Christmas Day as I recall in my experience is getting up at 5:30 or 6 in the morning with the kids and opening gifts prior to going to work."

In the course of one's life they'll have memorable Christmases whether it's full of joy or hardship and Thevenot says a first responder will go through plenty of Christmas calls that will become memories they will always remember for the wrong reasons."

"Notable calls you would remember are large structure fires that we've had on those days," he says. "Some of the other calls include tragic events, motor vehicle accidents that happen those days."

Deaths happen on Alberta roads every Christmas season and first responders are usually witnesses to them trying to save lives and Thevenot says it can be a hard days work on the holidays to go through those type of events.

"You really feel for the families on those days in particular because going forward for those families its going to be when every Christmas comes around there's a fatality or significant event in their family," he says. "That memory will always be there so that is something that you have to deal with as a first responder."

Thevenot encourages all of those travelling to visit family and friends during the holidays to be aware of the conditions, plan ahead and don't drink and drive.