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The business of saving lives doesn't stop for a holiday break.

That's why Albuquerque Fire Department stations all over town get meals from a program known as Can't Be Home for Christmas - a group of volunteers and businesses that since 1997 has distributed the makings of a holiday meal to fire and rescue crews working on Christmas Day.

The care package that arrived early Christmas afternoon at Station 1, 724 Silver Ave. S.E., contained roast turkey, potatoes, stuffing, green beans and other holiday fare.

But while Capt. Henry Chavez said he was grateful for the donation Tuesday afternoon, it seemed a little thin for his hungry crew.

In response, the firefighters of Station 1 whirled into action. Cell phones lit up like Christmas trees as relatives were contacted and informed of a slight food shortage. Soon after, family members arrived with homemade tamales, posole, ham, cookies and cheesecake.

Firefighter and paramedic Kevin O'Brien led the meal preparations, and in what seemed like no time the makeshift family of nine sat down together to celebrate the holiday and each other.

O'Brien said he was pleased with how the fire station quickly went from not having enough food to having plenty, especially because the first half of the holiday had kept him busy and hungry.

"Today we've been going on a lot of respiratory calls," he said.

Over the years, O'Brien said, he has seen more cardiac arrests during the holidays.

"The ambulance crew we were working with said that they'd had three cardiac arrests already," he said. "And that was at 8 a.m."

Between calls - and chow - the fire and rescue crews stand by for the next crisis. It might be a house fire, car wreck or medical emergency.

Firefighter Oscar Baca said working through the holidays is just a part of the job.

"We knew that we were going to have to work on Christmas from the beginning of the year," Baca said.

Some firefighters purposely take the 48-hour shift that runs from 8 a.m. Dec. 24 to 8 a.m. Dec. 26.

Dion Chavez said he works almost every Christmas.

"I work for guys that have kids and need to be home," he said. "My mom has become accustomed to me working on Christmas. I make sure I spend a lot of time with my family throughout the year so that if I'm not there for Christmas, it's no big deal."

Chavez said the camaraderie of firefighters is what makes it easy for him to work on the holiday.

"I may not be with my family," he said. "But this is my family, too. When you have to live with these guys for 48 hours straight, they become your family."