Double Duty | When Parents are On-Call 24/7, Who Watches the kids?

May 21, 2026 | Journalism

CPR | For first responders who are parents, there is something as nerve-wracking as running toward flames. Spend time around them within an hour of a shift change, says Brandon Sauder with Aurora Fire Rescue, and you will see them on their phone, trying to figure out who is getting the kid to school, who will help out, who can pick up their kids?

Jenny Brundin | CPR News

Irregular, grueling shifts force first responders to juggle child care in ways most families never do. So  how do these essential workers manage care while protecting the community?

For Boulder police officer Lucas Santos, the stress of the job is often interrupted by motion alerts from his 9-month-old daughter’s crib.

“If I open the app and see my baby crying, I’m like, ‘OK, where the heck is the sitter?'” Santos said. “It just adds that extra stress of, ‘is my kid being taken care of?’”

Santos and his wife, a physician assistant, rely on a sitter found through Facebook, paying about $125 for half a day of coverage that includes walking the dog. The cost and lack of family support has led to hard conversations about changing careers — careers that are vital to Coloradans’ safety and well-being.

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