McQueeney Firefighters to deliver Christmas cheer

(McQueeney) — With Christmas just days away, the McQueeney Volunteer Fire Department is lighting up the countdown by sending Santa through local neighborhoods aboard a fire truck.

The McQueeney VFD will be hosting its Santa Fire Truck Parade this coming Monday, December 22, and Tuesday, December 23, beginning at 5:30 p.m. both evenings.

The festive tradition will be the first for families across McQueeney, offering a simple but meaningful way to celebrate.

Fire Chief J. Harmon of the McQueeney Volunteer Fire Department says the event is more about holiday lights and sirens — it’s about connection.

“We are in the start-up season of trying to celebrate next year. It’s going to be our 50th anniversary of actually being in service and helping our community. We hope to go for another 50 years more but it’s a good milestone. I want to make sure the community knows where we are at with our history. So, Santa is going to make his appearance and try to listen to some of the community. We usually adopt a couple of families during Christmas time, so we are just trying to reach out and touch base with our community and see if there is something we can help them in return,” said Harmon.

He says as the fire truck rolls through neighborhoods, Santa will be waving to children and families gathered along the route. He says there will also be times for truck visits and photos with Santa.

Although they have a route in place, Harmon says the McQueeney Volunteer Fire Department encourages families to follow and monitor its Facebook page for the most up-to-date route information, timing updates, and any last-minute changes to the event.

“We are going to start down at our McQueeney Station 2 which is going to be at 1625 Walnut Drive in the McQueeney Estates subdivision. We will have a couple of trucks out there showing off and showcasing one of our brand-new 2022 trucks. Not that most haven’t seen it already but like I said, just trying to get out there in front of everybody. We are going to go through there. We are going to make our way most likely – I believe – we are going to finish up on the Bandit Golf Course Monday (Dec.22). Tuesday, we are going to start and go through the Long Creek RV Park- Grove Lane Subdivision which I think is called Cypress Grove and then, we are going to go down Altwein – back into Altwein – there is a little neighborhood back there in our area. We just want to make sure that we touch base with all the kiddos,” said Harmon.

Because routes may vary each night,  residents are reminded that flexibility is key, especially with weather or emergency calls potentially affecting timing.