Season’s greetings from my family to yours.

This is a time to gather with loved ones, look back on the year, and give thanks for all we have. But as we celebrate the holidays, let’s take a moment to recognize the brave public safety professionals who won’t have that luxury.

While most of us will be spending the holidays with our families, thousands of correctional employees, police officers, military personnel, and other first responders throughout our region will miss celebrations with their loved ones.

They will be on duty, fulfilling their responsibility to keep the public safe.

As we travel to visit family, police officers and firefighters are responding to emergencies. As we sit down to Christmas dinner, the staff inside our prisons are serving dinner to inmates and 911 dispatchers are fielding emergency calls.

"Let’s take a moment to remember those working over the holidays. Their sacrifice and service to our communities allows us to enjoy the holidays in peace."

Work does not “slow down” for emergency personnel between Christmas and New Year’s. In fact, this is one of the busiest and most dangerous times for law enforcement.

The holidays can also be a grueling time for those suffering from depression and stress. The holidays are supposed to be a “happy” time, so when that is not the case, these issues can become exacerbated.

Because law enforcement and corrections workers face higher instances of posttraumatic stress disorder and other work-related mental fatigue, this can be an unfortunately difficult time of year.

So as we celebrate this year, let’s take a moment to remember those working over the holidays. Their sacrifice and service to our communities allows us to enjoy the holidays in peace.

Thank you for all that you do.

In Solidarity,

John Scearcy
Secretary-Treasurer