PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The North American Aerospace Defense Command is ready to track Santa, and media are invited to participate in a variety of ways, to include conducting live interviews with senior NORAD officers on Dec. 24.
“NORAD stands the watch protecting the skies of North America 365 days a year, but on Christmas Eve the children of the world look to NORAD, and our trusted partners, to make sure that Santa is able to complete his mission safely,” said General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., NORAD Commander.
“This mission is a duty to the children of the world and a privilege we've enjoyed for 56 consecutive years, but the effort could not be carried out without the superb assistance of numerous government and non-government contributors. It is the generosity of these contributors, the hard work of the more than 1,200 volunteers who man the NORAD Tracks Santa Operation Center, and vigilance of the Canadian and U.S. forces who work at NORAD that guarantees the program's success each and every year."
Here are the many ways media can participate:
Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) - Through DVIDS, NORAD will offer opportunities for live interviews from the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center on Dec. 24 in addition to audio, video, B-Roll, and select historical “Santa Cam” files.
The senior NORAD officers will include U.S. Army General Charles H. Jacoby Jr., NORAD Commander, Canadian Forces Lieutenant-General Tom Lawson, NORAD Deputy Commander, and U.S. Army Lieutenant General Frank J. Grass, Vice Commander, U.S. NORAD Element. The senior leaders will be actively tracking Santa and available for live satellite interviews beginning at 7:00 a.m. EST. On-scene audio-visual specialists will help facilitate all interviews. Scheduling is necessary in order to accommodate all interested news organizations.
Broadcasters interested in arranging an interview or in downloading video, audio, B-Roll, and select historical “Santa Cam” files should contact Jared Williams with DVIDS at 678-421-6625 or (877) DVIDS-247 (24-hour hotline). Broadcasters can also visit www.dvidshub.net and click on the media request link. Please adhere to the broadcasting instructions.
Tracking Maps - As soon as Santa takes off from the North Pole, children can also track him with up-to-the-minute updates on Google Maps and Google Earth. Broadcasters can embed the Santa Tracking Map on their web site or broadcasts by going to http://www.noradsanta.org/en/media.html.
NORAD Tracks Santa Media Operations Center - Media outlets desiring live updates on Santa’s whereabouts on Dec. 24 may call the NORAD Tracks Santa Media Center at (719) 556-1910 or (719) 556-5128. Be advised that phone lines may be extremely busy.