Fairfax City Fire Truck Surprises Boy On His 5th Birthday

FAIRFAX, VA — With families practicing social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, big birthday celebrations have been put on hold. Until coronavirus pandemic restrictions are lifted, parents cannot invite friends from the neighborhood into their homes or rent a community play space to hold a birthday bash for their children and friends.

As a way to ensure their children don't miss out on the excitement of these special occasions during the coronavirus crisis, parents are coming up with creative ways to make their children's birthdays memorable while keeping everyone in the family safe.

On Thursday, Max "Maxito" Borges got to celebrate his fifth birthday with members of the Fairfax City Fire Department who drove by Maxito's house in a fire truck and handed him a red firefighter hat signed by everyone at the station.

"Maxito was super excited. He couldn't believe they were stopping for him," Maxito's father, Max Borges, said in an email to Patch. "It was a complete surprise."

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Borges said he doesn't believe the Fairfax City Fire Department typically drives by houses to celebrate local residents' birthdays or for other special occasions. Maxito's grandmother, Annette Borges, came up with the idea after reading an article about an Altoona, Pennsylvania, fire station agreeing to drive by a house to celebrate a child's birthday.

Annette Borges called the Fairfax City Fire Department to ask if they could do the same. They checked to get approval and agreed to drive by the Borges house as long as they had time and there were no emergencies during the day.

It was Maxito's lucky day. There were no emergencies to keep the firefighters away. The Fairfax City Fire Department truck arrived at the Borges house in the early afternoon on Thursday. "They were super-friendly and accommodating, calling before they left and texting two minutes before arriving," Max Borges said.

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The visit by the firefighthers in their fire truck "was an extra special treat considering his birthday celebration had to be 'limited' to just his family and at his house," Borges said.

These are extremely difficult times for families across the country, with loved ones getting sick and special events in children's lives getting canceled. But for Maxito, his fifth birthday will be one the entire family will remember for the rest of their lives.