The Many Things Santee Firefighters Do for the Community

There are a ton of things Santee's firefighters do to help the community other than answering emergency calls- as if that's not enough. From helping deliver food and gifts with Santee Santas to fishing with local kids, their volunteer and fundraising efforts are immense.

Captain John Sengebusch addressed the Santee Collaborative last month to give the group an idea of what community activities, apart from their firefighting and paramedic duties, local firefighters and their Association take part in.

"The Santee Firefighters Association participates in a lot of communty activities, siad Sengebusch. "A lot of community work is done off duty, but often includes on duty. The city and Chief allows on and off duty to work together."

Each month Santee firefighters give a portion of their paycheck to the Firefighters Association, which allows for many of these events volunteer efforts to happen.

Here's a rundown on regular volunteer efforts the he mentioned at the meeting:

Fishing Derby- 1,500 kids come to fish for free at the derby hosted by the Firefighters Association each year. Padre Dam Water District has rigged the stocking schedule so it's stuffed for the derby, said Sengebusch.

Kids News Day- Selling newspapers to commuters to fundraise for Children's Hospital.

Burn Institute Boot Drive- Santee has raised over $15,000 for Camp Beyond the Stars.

Relay for Life- A dedicated team of Santee firefighters raise funds for the American Cancer Society event each year, having raised the most in town on many occasions.

Pancake Breakfast- an annual open house at the fire station and community breakfast benefitting a cause.

AED Program- The firefighters have worked for years to install machines that can help resuscitate heart attack victims around Santee. More than 30 have been installed at local schools. A teacher at Santana was rescued with one, as well as a person at YMCA. They offer local $1,000 scholarships to help purchase an AED.

Mash Up Derby- A fundraiser involving beat up cars crashing into each other until only one is left standing.

Santee Santas- The annual epic volunteer effort to bring food and gifts to people in Santee that need help during the holidays. Firefighters are always on hand en masse to help pack goods and deliver.

LAFS- Clowns teaching fire safety as schools.

Youth Sports Teams Sponsorships- About $3,000 worth of sponsorships are given out to local youth sports teams each year.

College scholarships- Two $1,500 college scholarships are given to local graduating seniors each year, often to those interested in the medical or emergency services field.

Boy Scout Troop 384- Santee Firefighters Association has sponsored the troop for years.

Smoke Detector Installs- If you need help installing a smoke detector, or can't afford one, they can help.

COMMENT: Give a shout out of thanks to the Santee Firefighters!