Santa Float Route Question & Answer
Santa Float Question & Answer:
What communities does the Santa Float visit? The Santa Float visits the Cities of Neenah and Menasha, which are the two communities our Department serves.
Why doesn’t the Santa Float visit every street: Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue provides services to the Cities of Neenah and Menasha. Due to the growth and tremendous increase in road miles in both Cities we have had for the past 10+ years, we are not able to visit every single street within both Cities. Therefore, we have an every other year route. Please note there are some cul-de-sac areas, within both Cities, where the streets are too narrow and we do not have enough turning radius to safety operate the float. Unfortunately, we cannot visit these areas at all.
Who operates the Santa Float: The Santa Float is staffed with off duty Neenah-Menasha Local 275 Firefighters who volunteer their time to bring you this time-honored tradition.
Who pays for the operating costs of the Santa Float? The costs to operate the Santa Float are funded entirely through donations.
How many days does the Santa Float operate? Our routes are designed for both of our Communities to enjoy and it takes 10 days to complete these routes.
Why can’t you extend operation for more than 10 nights? Our Santa Float is staffed with off duty firefighters who volunteer their time. Our firefighters work 24-hour shifts and already have many nights, weekends and holidays away from their families and miss many family activities due to their work schedule. If we asked them to staff the Santa Float for 20+ days (to cover every street) it would mean our off duty firefighters would spend more time away from their families and would miss even more of the night time routine with their own children (i.e. dinner, homework, bedtime, etc.) that they already are not able to participate in due to their work schedule and commitment to continue the tradition of the Santa Float.
How long does the Santa Float operate each night and when does it start? The routes begin at 5:30 p.m. are designed to have the float in operation for 2 – 2 1/2 hours each night. This is so children are not up late on a school night and Santa has a hard time staying warm when the temperatures are really cold! If the weather is not cooperative (i.e. snow/rain, temperature) it takes a little bit longer to complete.
I live in a neighboring Township that is close to the City borders, why can’t you visit my street? We realize there are some township areas that are really close to the City of Neenah and Menasha borders. Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue is funded by the citizens and business owners in the Cities of Neenah and Menasha. Therefore, our Santa Float operates only within the two Cities we serve.
Click here for history on our Santa Float