Turlockers don’t have to wait until Christmas Eve to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus, as the jolly old elf will be making his way to neighborhoods around town this month on the top of a vintage firetruck.
Since 1983, Turlock Fire Incorporated — a nonprofit organization made up of local firefighters — has helped St. Nicholas visit families atop a refurbished firetruck. The vintage firetruck — currently a 1955 American La France pumper — has been outfitted with lights, a sound system and a Merry Christmas sign.
Retired Turlock Fire Captain Frank Saldivar has been volunteering with the Santa Fire Truck program since the 1990s. He said it’s really rewarding to hear about the generations of Turlockers who have firetruck Santa as a holiday memory.
“[We hear] parents are saying, ‘my parents lived in this neighborhood and I got to see it growing up, and now I have kids, and those kids are seeing it. And this is pretty amazing,’” he said.
Annual donations that firefighters pay to Turlock Fire Incorporated all go to upkeep of the vintage firetruck — last year it got a $6,000 fuel injector and this year brand new LED lights, according to Saldivar. Firefighters sign up to host each night of the 21-night run of Santa Fire Truck, providing the driver, elves and the big man himself.
Saldivar said the program has been really popular with firefighters this year.
“This year we put the list out, and within three days it was full. I felt bad because there were guys that still wanted to sign up, but the days were gone…I didn't think it was going to fill up that fast, and it did. Three days and it was full. Wow,” he said.
Saldivar said that some neighborhoods plan a holiday block party each year for when Santa Fire Truck is scheduled to arrive.
“Some of these people have really big parties as you're driving through, seriously big parties. They have all kinds of goodies, a little fire pit going on, they have lawn chairs and blankets,” he said.
The Santa Fire Truck will be making its way through Turlock every night through Dec. 21. A map of where the firetruck is scheduled to be each night can be found at: https://www.cityofturlock.org/firedepartment/aboutus/santatruck/
