DeKalb firefighters spend Christmas Eve protecting community

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Firefighters in DeKalb County are working hard Christmas Eve to help keep people safe.

Calls kept coming in Sunday evening at DeKalb Fire Station 23 in Clarkston.

“Obviously, the holiday, there’s more emotion involved,” Capt. Shawn Staton said.

Firefighters said their thoughts are with the people they protect.

“It is harder because you have the holiday in the back of your mind, but we’re always conscious of the struggle of the people that we’re going to help,” Capt. Tad Landau said.

The DeKalb firefighters said they’re always thinking of their families waiting for them to come home.

“It was normal for me to go to work on a holiday, been doing it a long time, grew up in it,” Staton said. “My children (think) daddy’s supposed to be home. Mommy and daddy are supposed to be home together today.”

A holiday meal with their second family helped the firefighters pass the time between runs.

“We spend a third of our life here, so you become very close with the men and women that you work with,” Landau said.

Abudl Aziz, who is on a six-month training program from Saudi Arabia, was there taking everything in.

“The community, they appreciate the firefighter. They love the firefighters. They’re looking at the firefighters like super heroes,” he said.

While those accolades come with sacrifices, the firefighters said this is what they live to do.

“I wanted a career where I could help people. Well, this is it,” Staton said. “I mean, what better career for that than being a firefighter.”

Cox Media Group