Paramedics in Harlingen are bracing for a spike in emergency calls.

A paramedic says they usually see a 15% increase in calls during the holidays.

The calls range from cardiac and mental health issues.

Paramedics like Abel Villarreal with the South Texas Emergency Care Foundation say they’re ready to respond.

"A lot of the times they do have a breakdown that requires a mental health evaluation,” Villarreal said. “They don't know how to cope with it, so their anxiety level actually goes up because they have nobody to talk to and usually everybody is with their family, so they feel even more alone… They have a breakdown to the point that some of them even want to take their life."

Villarreal says the calls start to pick up around the Thanksgiving holiday and continues through New Year’s Day.

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