Move Over Donner and Blitzen, Santa's Got a New Ride

If live in the Village of Mamaroneck and heard a screaming fire engine once, twice maybe even three times last night, then you were probably hearing the firefighter's annual .

The Mamaro E & H Co. No. 1 geared up eight of their firefighters in Christmas attire, and suited up their yellow sleigh—Engine 40. The men and women departed shortly after 5 p.m. and made 12 planned stops and a dozen more unplanned ones.

Santa sat with his two trusty elves atop the engine, in the midst of the fire hoses. Everywhere they went, people were sure to follow. Two cars, in fact, followed the engine until it stopped. One car had a man from the Bronx who had never seen a sight quite like this.

“We’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember,” said firefighter Sean Martensen. He, along with Santa (Timmy Caparelli) and Mrs. Claus (Jessica Barney), joined elves and firefighter helpers to deliver pre-wrapped toys to homes.

“It’s great to see the kids,” he said. “This is the best thing we do all year round.”

The Golle family on Sunnyside Avenue was one of the lucky ones. They received a special visit from Santa, gifts in tow.

“We’ve never seen Santa on a fire truck,” said Jim Golle. “The fact that the fire department does something like this makes it so exciting. It is a very special, memorable moment.”

Matthew, 4, Gracie, 1, mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandma and grandpa all took the opportunity to meet and greet Santa.

And every street they went down, it didn’t seem to matter what people were doing. They took a moment to smile, wave, and wish the engine good Christmas cheer.