Firefighters Drive Santa to Visit Record 758 Children
Santa arrived in Orange this year on a fire truck, delivering gifts to a record number of children in town.
“Santa’s Helper” has become a townwide tradition and big fund-raiser for the all-volunteer fire department. This year, there were seven Santas helping out, each one on a fire truck with a crew. The teams delivered gifts to 758 children in 229 homes.
“It’s a record year,” said Jillian Gagel, president of the Orange Fire Department Auxiliary and organizer of the event. “All this in one small town!”
This was the 30th year firefighters have helped Santa. Ms. Gagel is the third person who has orchestrated the event, but as it has grown, she has had to make changes. For one thing, registration is now done online, and computers help organize and route the trucks. And planning for the 2026 holiday season is already under way.
For firefighters, it’s a great teambuilding opportunity, a time to have some fun and an opportunity to meet and talk with residents when there’s no emergency going on, said Fire Chief Vaughan Dumas.
About the Orange Volunteer Fire Association
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding, the Orange Volunteer Fire Association provides fire protection to residents and businesses in Orange and, through mutual aid, to surrounding towns. Members receive training in fire suppression, rescue, hazardous materials response, homeland security issues and other emergency services.
Operating strictly with revenues from fund-raisers and donations, the Orange Volunteer Fire Department is one of the few remaining all-volunteer incorporated fire departments in Connecticut. Active members are on call to serve the community on a 24-hour/seven-day basis, responding from stations on Orange Center Road and Boston Post Road.
In addition, the fire company offers public education services including lectures, demonstrations, and training. For information about membership, donations or public education, call (203) 891-4703, click on https://www.orangevfd.org/ or find us on Facebook.
