How it works
From sign-up
to the last stop.
FD Santa Tracker is built for a busy December. Set up your page once, brief your crew, and let families follow along from their browser.
- Before the season
Make it yours.
- Sign up at fdsanta.com. You sign in with a link or code sent to your email, so there’s no password.
- Your page address, like fdsanta.com/your-department, is permanent. Choose it carefully.
- Add your logo and Santa schedule, then share one link on your website, social posts, and flyers.
- Accounts are for adults who are authorized to act for your agency.
- Before the big night
Brief the crew.
- Plan on two phones, one to track and one for photos.
- Tracking links work for anyone who has them. Send them only to the crew members who need them.
“Hold to Stop” ends the run. Press and hold it, so the run can’t be stopped by accident.
Demo crew screen.
Two phones. Two jobs.
Set up your crew for a smooth run.
- The tracking phone
- Rides with Santa all night with the tracking link open. Keep it plugged in with the screen awake. The map stops updating if the phone sleeps, loses signal, or runs out of battery.
- The photo phone
- Stays with a second crew member, who adds pictures from the route to your page without interrupting tracking.
- On the night
Bring the neighborhood along.
- Start tracking. Families follow Santa’s truck on a live map in their browser, with no app or viewer account.
- Positions are throttled and slightly delayed. That’s fine for following along, and it’s one reason the map isn’t for operational use.
- Photos are public, so get any consent your area requires.
- Families can tap Wave at the Truck, and the crew sees the count on the truck.
- After the last stop
Keep the memories.
- Stop tracking when the run ends. Location recording stops too.
- Your recap brings together route photos and engagement totals. Estimated viewers come from browser sessions, so they’re estimates, not a headcount.
- Letters to Santa stay in your department’s inbox. First names and neighborhoods are erased automatically after 60 days.
A gift to your community
Big holiday spirit.
One less thing in your budget.
FD Santa Tracker is free. Set up your department and make this Santa run one to remember.