Snohomish County Fire District No. 5 hosted around 180 kids on Saturday, all of whom filed into the fire station to have their photos taken with Santa Claus.
In addition to cookies and other snacks, the department gave out firefighter-related kids’ books, including “Curious George and the Firefighters,” Richard Scarry’s “A Day at the Fire Station,” and “Smokey the Fireman.” Children flocked to volunteer Santa Jeff Aikens – some with joy and others with a bit of trepidation. Aikens has served as the department’s Santa for a decade.
The Sultan Fire Department’s Visit Santa at the Fire Station event has been going on for generations, said Fire Chief Merlin Halverson.