Ranlo firefighters prepare to dress up as Santa Claus, for the children

Ranlo Fire and Rescue recently announced they are in need of volunteers as the state of North Carolina has seen volunteer numbers decrease by nearly 5,000.

Future Ranlo Fire and Rescue volunteers will protect the community, wear heavy flame-resistant equipment, and once per year, they will likely dress up like Santa.

The department’s current volunteers will don red at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, Dec. 9, as they deliver candy to the children of Ranlo.

The department’s annual Santa Ride became a tradition in 1976, nearly 50 years ago.

In the early years of this tradition, volunteer firefighters at Ranlo Fire and Rescue would spend their afternoons in the weeks leading up to Christmas personally delivering a single candy cane to each child in the community, according to a press release from the department.

Today, Ranlo Fire and Rescue carries on this tradition with a small twist.

Rather than delivering a single candy cane to each child, the firefighters dress up like Santa Claus and deliver treat bags of candy to each child.

Ranlo residents are not required to sign up for this event, because the volunteers also no longer walk door-to-door.

“We actually take the firetruck around town and honk the horn, blow the siren, and we just kind of wait for them to come out,” said Ranlo Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief Bryan Falls.

According to Falls, the department prepares hundreds of candy bags every year for the event.

“We try to do at least 500,” Falls said.

Some years, the department runs out of candy bags, and in other years they still have several bags left.

“The leftover bags get thrown at the Lowell Christmas Parade that we go to,” Falls said.

Ranlo residents who miss out on the Santa Ride can still catch some candy at the Lowell Parade, which starts at 1 p.m. Saturday at McCord Family Park.

Events like these would not be possible without volunteers, according to the release.

“It’s just something to give back and to let the people know that we’re there,” Falls said. “If somebody is interested in helping and volunteering, contact me.”

Assistant Chief Bryan Falls can be reached at bfalls1984@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Ranlo firefighters to dress up as Santa Claus, hand out free candy