Here Comes the Santa Truck

For many, the sights and sounds of a firetruck rolling through the neighborhood brings about a certain fear or anxiety. But add a few thousand Christmas lights to that shiny red truck while featuring Santa Claus, and that fear and worry give way to holiday cheer.

That’s the idea of the Zoneton Fire Protection District’s Santa Truck, an annual tradition the department has put on for Zoneton and Bullitt County residents alike for around 25 years, though it wasn’t as elaborate in the beginning.

“I came from another fire department that did sort of the same thing,” says Media Coordinator Rich Carlson. “Let’s put some lights on and go out and about and make people happy.”

The display has undergone a significant change through the last few decades, with the truck now featuring an estimated 80,000 points of light, multiple speakers and special effect machines and multiple generators to power it all. While the technical specifications generally remain constant, new themes are presented each year, credited to the department’s leadership and Second Platoon Captain Steve Corbin.

“With his level of commitment and enthusiasm, he is a really driven kind of guy,” Carlson says, “and he wants everything to be better than the best you can do.”

Year-round preparation

The preparation for the Santa Truck begins, as Carlson jokes, right after they wrap up the previous year. Pulling inspiration from his children, Corbin’s yearly theme goes from the drawing board to real life in a matter of weeks, with cleaning and decorating beginning just as soon as passed and with Thanksgiving on the horizon.

“We start laying hands on the truck about a week or two before Thanksgiving,” Carlson says. “Our crews will be working on the truck every day, with Steve passing out assignments, what needs to be worked on.”

That can be quite a task, which is why extensive volunteer work is also performed by some of the inmates from the Bullitt County Jail, who help with securing the lights and getting things ready to go.

“Those folks there, they really work hard on the truck, and they have tremendous pride in the outcome, and even the jail staff jumps right in, too,” he says. “The inmates are really helping to contribute back to society on helping out the truck.”

Residents of Zoneton, Hillview and the surrounding areas have come to view the Santa Truck as a tradition, and Carlson is in charge of making sure just about everyone gets a chance to see the magnificent spectacle pass by their home.

“I see what we did the current year, I try to tweak it, make it better, talk to our people to see what is best for them,” he says.

Community love

If all this behind-the-scenes work that goes into decorating the truck and planning schedules and routes feels like a labor of love for the community, that’s no accident.

“This gives us a chance to get out in the community and interact with them in a positive way,” Carlson explains. “We’re not going to someone who is having the worst day of their life. We like making people happy; it’s all about community.”

In the annual reveal at the fire station and the Shepherdsville Kids Fest, Carlson says people take notice of that goal.

“People recognize us for that. When I mention I’m with Zoneton Fire, and they say, ‘Oh, you’re the Santa Truck guys.’ Yeah, we’re known for that. It brings a bit of warmth to you when you hear that. We want the community to know that we’re there for them, in good times and bad.”

The Zoneton Fire Department’s Santa Truck will be revealed Wednesday, December 3, at the Zoneton Fire House. For a list of routes and schedules (weather permitting), visit zonetonfire.com