Many federal workers are struggling to make ends meet amid the ongoing government shutdown, including firefighters at the Great Lakes Fire Department at Naval Station Great Lakes.

One lieutenant said the long hours on the job are even harder with no end to the shutdown in sight.

The department covers fire and medical emergency calls for the naval base, including the veterans complex and housing communities. It's the busiest fire department under the Department of Defense, running an average of about 15 calls a day, or about 5,000 calls a year.

One lieutenant at the station said the last time they saw a paycheck was over a month ago.

The Great Lakes Fire Department has a total of almost 50 federal firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians.

"We'll always be here 24 hours a day, no matter whether you're getting paid or not," said Lt. Brian Pagliaroni, a firefighter/paramedic who's also president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local F-37. "We still have to come to work, and we still have to provide a service to both family, the Navy, ex-veterans, and anybody who comes in to watch their son or daughter graduate."

Pagliaroni said, unlike some federal workers, the firefighters can't go on strike. Their only option during the government shutdown is to report for duty, even without pay.

"Getting into the holidays and TSA is already walking out," he said. "We can't strike. So we have to come to work. We can't just walk out."

The last time they got paid was at the end of September. Since then, many of them are have been mandated to work 48-hour shifts.

"It's very hard. This job is very stressful as it is, and it's coming here, not knowing if you're going to get a paycheck. People got to put food on the table. They got to pay for gas. There's mortgage payments coming," Pagliaroni said. "We have some people that live in Michigan, some people that live in Indiana. They now have to dip into their savings accounts to actually afford gas to come to work."

Pagliaroni said, with the shutdown, they're not getting any new-hires, and there's a real concern around keeping members on board.

"A lot of them are looking at going elsewhere. They just can't afford it anymore, and they don't know when the end's in sight," he said.

With the holidays around the corner, Pagliaroni said their concerns are only growing, and they hope the government opens back up sooner than later.