Enumclaw firefighters planning Santa Patrol

Santa Claus will be patrolling the streets of Enumclaw on a fire engine beginning Dec. 10, as part of an annual program sponsored by the Enumclaw Volunteer Firefighters Association.

This year, as usual, the Santa patrol has slated a four-night run (with a fifth night penciled in, allowing for poor weather or an emergency call).

As always, an emergency vehicle - with lights on and Christmas music playing - will cruise a few blocks ahead of Santa's truck to alert residents. Santa's fire truck will follow shortly behind and elves on foot will deliver candy canes to everyone who has been good this past year. For safety sake, firefighters ask that everyone stay on the sidewalk...the elves will come to you. They'll be making their rounds between 6-9 p.m.

Here's the schedule Santa's crew will be keeping:

€ Dec. 10 (Wednesday): All areas south of Roosevelt between Semanski on the west and Watson Street on the east.

€ Dec. 11: Everything west of Semanski, plus May Court, Green River Court, Initial Place and Clovercrest (excluding Olympic Place and Gossard north of Kibler).

€ Dec. 12: North of Roosevelt Avenue between Semanski and Division streets, plus Olympic Place and Gossard north of Kibler.

€ Dec. 13: Everything east of Division Street and north of Roosevelt Avenue, plus short stretches of Edith, Neilson and Lincoln avenues east of Lafromboise.

€ Dec. 14 will be dedicated to any areas missed due to extreme weather or Santa's helpers being called away on emergency business.

Every year a rumor gets started that firefighters will be collecting canned food. They're reminding everyone that they're not equipped to accept donations during the Santa run, and ask that donations be taken to the food bank.

No tax dollars are used to support the Santa Patrol program (with the exception of operating the fire trucks...and the volunteers consider that "driver training"). The Enumclaw Volunteer Firefighters Association covers the expense, approximately $500 to $1,000 per year, through donations and fund-raising activities.

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