RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — For some people, the holidays mean time off from school or work to spend with family and friends. But for those in news, health care or law enforcement, this time of year means work as usual.

Just because it is Christmas time, doesn’t mean crime takes a day off. Deputy Jake Fredricksen has been with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office for more than 7 years and has worked many holidays.

“I’ve spent my fair share away from my family on the holidays but I am pretty fortunate though. I have a family that supports me and they are pretty flexible coming up with other arrangements. Maybe that’s celebrating another day or another time, whatever the situation may be,” Deputy Fredricksen said.

While it isn’t always easy missing that special gathering, Fredricksen says it’s important that deputies stick around to continue protecting the community.

“A lot of times kids will come back from school, people will get time off from work, families are together and there is a lot more drinking involved so we do see an uptick in DUIs. Sometimes this time of year, suicides tend to go up because these aren’t always happy times for people. There is definitely an uptick in calls,” Fredricksen said.

The Cornerstone Rescue Mission is open 24 hours a day, all days of the week. During the holidays can be a really busy time.

“A lot of people come here because they don’t have anywhere else to go, even some people in the community and we just want to make sure they feel welcome too,” Executive Director Lysa Allison said.

Allison says some staff at the mission might not get to see family during this time, but people without homes tend to be very grateful to have their support.

“It is a sacrifice we are willing to make because this is what we do, this is what we want to do and we want to be there for them too,” Allison said.

Health care workers at Monument Health also play a big role in helping their patients during a time they might rather be spending with their families.

“We try to make it as good as we possibly can for people. It’s the holidays so we try to keep things jolly,” Hawk said.

Sage Hawk is a guest services specialist at the hospital. She says being there for her patients no matter the day is very rewarding.

“Really be there for patients, being able to sit with them, give them a moment to talk, grabbing blankets and things like that, I know it doesn’t seem like a whole lot but if you have been sitting there for a few hours, it’s a holiday and you’d rather be with your family. It’s just nice to have someone pay attention to you and talk to you and stop in and see how you are doing,” Hawk said.

For Dylan Winter, an IT specialist, the holidays might be a busy time but can also be slow. Either way, people are always happy to see him when they need help.

“Those responsibilities come with challenges which might be coming in after hours if you are on call or if you are just working those days, yes they can be slow, and there might not be a ticket or a call that comes in but if we have to we are here so that helps, especially in emergency situations,” Winter said.

While the holidays are great to spend some quality time with friends and family, be sure to remember the people sacrificing that time to support our local communities and keep us healthy and safe.

The holidays can also be a difficult time for people who don’t have families or a home to go to. The Cornerstone Rescue Mission in Rapid City is hosting a Christmas dinner for anyone who stops by in the afternoon on December 25th.