Children’s Healthcare patients see special visitors outside their windows

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A child who is a patient reaches out to “touch” hands with a Sandy Springs Fire Department firefighter who was training on rope rescues outside the child’s window in the Scottish Rite building. (Submitted)

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta patients got a visit from Santa and some firefighters from the Sandy Springs Fire Department on Tuesday, but from outside their windows high up in the Scottish Rite building.

Rope rescue technicians used a pre-planned training exercise that had them rappelling from the roof of the Scottish Rite building. They stopped on each level outside the hospital room windows to wave to the children inside.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Santa stopped by to join in on the fun, waving to children from the bucket on the ladder truck and delivering hats to the children in the hospital.

Rope rescue technicians respond to emergency situations in multi-floor buildings and specialize in lowering people in harm’s way down the side of the building, according to a CHOA spokesperson. The firefighters planned the exercise with CHOA’s Security Services to gain real-world experience to use in case of an emergency.