WFD drives Santa through city

Santa Claus called on the Washington Fire Department Dec. 18 to help him check his naughty and nice list.

The department helped Santa by driving him through the neighborhoods of Washington in Engine 1. The fire truck has a bucket that Santa and Mrs. Claus used as a perch during the ride through town.

“It is wonderful that they did this,” said Shannon Alt after Santa passed by her house on Hilldale Avenue. “I was on a walk and a friend told me Santa was coming so I quickly ran home and got the kids.”

For Alts children, Dillon, 10, Jacob, 7, Mason, 4, and Lydia, 2, getting to see Santa before the Christmas holiday was a treat.

“It was cool,” said Dillon Alt.

Fire Chief Mike Vaughan told the City Council Dec. 17 that they had received a confirmation from the North Pole that Santa was going to need help in checking his list of Washington children.

“We have a route that will touch nearly every neighborhood in town,” Vaughan said.

During Santa’s trip, children and their parents came out to the curb to wave as the engine slowly drove along its route.

“This really gets you in the mood,” said Shannon Alt. “It’s so nice that the fire department did this.”