ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 Every December, families, businesses, and community groups get the chance to \u201cadopt\u201d one of Orange County\u2019s fire stations. This holiday season, that tradition continues.<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/p>\n
Orange County revives its annual \u201cAdopt a Fire Station\u201d program for the holiday season
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The initiative invites families and community groups to support firefighters working through the holidays
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Firefighters say the visits, meals and appreciation strengthen their bond with the community
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Sign-ups are open now through Dec. 1 for all 45 Orange County fire stations<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times when you see us showing up, you\u2019re not having the best day of your life. The adopt a fire station program is great because the fire department is interwoven with the fabric of the community and so it allows the community to come and visit with the firefighters at the station,\u201d said Battalion Chief Thomas Veal with Orange County Fire Rescue.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a tradition Veal says always puts a smile on the faces of their teams.<\/p>\n
What started back over 10 years ago has become a special way for people to say \u201cthank you\u201d to the firefighters who work around the clock, even during the holidays.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just helps build that community relationship and it\u2019s really nice. We really do appreciate the love and support from the community because even if we can\u2019t be with our own families, we can be with our community family,\u201d Veal said.<\/p>\n
The adoptions often include holiday meals, treats, or quality time with crews.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of nice to have people out there that are supporting us and showing us that they appreciate our presence in a time that we are away from our families,\u201d said Engineer Carlo Gonzalez.<\/p>\n
For safety, the county asks participants to bring ServSafe-certified food \u2014 like meals from restaurants, caterers, grocery stores, or food trucks.<\/p>\n
And whether it\u2019s a full holiday dinner or just a few minutes spent saying thank you, crews say these visits help make their holiday shift feel a little more like home.<\/p>\n