>>LAUREN VERNO: WELL TODAY IS CHRISTMAS EVE. AND THAT MEANS SANTA IS WORKING HARD TO
DELIVER PRESENTS AND HOLIDAY
CHEER TO CHILDREN AROUND
THE WORLD. RIGHT NOW LOOKS LIKE
SANTA IS PASSING THROUGH
AUSTRALIA. WHO IS BEHIND
PROVIDING US WITH SENT US EVERY
MOVE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AND
REALLY EVERY HOLIDAY SEASON FOR
MANY
MANY YEARS. IT’S A NORTH
AMERICAN AEROSPACE DEFENSE
COMMAND
OR NORAD JOINING US THIS
MORNING TO TALK ABOUT HER SANTA
TRACKING TECHNOLOGY IS
LIEUTENANT
CAN GENERAL KIRK PEERS WITH
NORAD GOOD MORNING TO YOU
THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US
HOW ARE YOU
DOING TODAY. GREAT GOOD MORNING
IT IS A BUSY DAY FOR YOU AND
ALL THE STAFF OVER THERE WE
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME
FIRST OF ALL TALK TO US ABOUT
NORAD WHAT IT STANDS FOR REALLY
WHAT IT IS
BECAUSE IT’S SOMETHING A A
SCARY NAME FOR A GREAT GROUP
THAT DOES SUCH
GREAT WORK.
>> NO NO NOT A SCARY NAME IN
HERE SAID WHERE THE NORTH
AMERICAN AEROSPACE DEFENSE
COMMAND STORE BY
NATIONAL COMMAND. WE’VE BEEN
AROUND 62 YEARS THAT CANADIAN
AND U.S. GOVERNMENTS AGREED TO
HAVE
THIS COMMAND TO DEFEND NORTH
AMERICA ANY AIR ATTACK SO WE’RE
RESPONSIBLE FOR AIRSPACE WARNING AND CONTROLLING THE TO
ENSURE THAT ANY AIRCRAFT COMING IN OR GOING OUT OF NORTH AMERICAN AIRSPACE HAS
IDENTIFIED. SO WE CAN MAKE SURE
THAT WE KNOW WHO’S COMING IN OR
OUT SO IT’S DEFENSE OF THE
HOMELAND, YEAH, OF COURSE YOU
KNOW SANTA COMES INTO OUR
AIRSPACE YOU’VE GOT TO KNOW
ABOUT THAT.
>> AND IN FACT WE’VE BEEN
TRACKING HIM AROUND THE WORLD
SINCE WHAT 1955 HAD THIS GREAT
TRADITION START. >> SO WEEK IT’S BEEN GOING ON SINCE 1955, LIKE YOU SAID
IT STARTED ACTUALLY A MISPRINT
OUT IN COLORADO SPRINGS WITH A
DEPARTMENT STORE. BUT IN THE
WRONG NUMBER TO CALL SANTA AND
THEY ACTUALLY GOT AHOLD OF THE
PRECURSOR TO NORAD AS WE
STARTED 58, BUT WE’VE BEEN
DOING
SINCE 55 AND TALK TO THE
COMMAND CENTER AND GOT CENTERS
LIKE GUY. WE TELL TALKING TO A
LITTLE GIRL AND HERE’S WHERE SANTA IS AND SO THAT STARTED THE TRADITION FOR US TO USER
SYSTEMS AND INTEL.
ANYBODY AROUND THE WORLD WHO
WANTS TO CALL IN OR
GO ONLINE.
>>LAUREN VERNO: AND OVER THE
YEARS AND WE’RE LOOKING AT THE
VIDEO NOW OF LAST CHRISTMAS
EVE. ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS WHO
HAVE BEEN MANNING THE PHONE I
KNOW THE TECHNOLOGY
HAS CHANGED IMMENSELY OVER THE
YEARS WITH CHILDREN NOW USING
THE INTERNET MORE
AND MORE BUT YOU STILL GET
THOSE PHONE CALLS TELL ME WHAT
THOSE PHONE CALLS
ARE LIKE.
>> IT’S ACTUALLY AWESOME SO I
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PARTICIPATE IN THIS WITH MY
FAMILY WHEN WE VOLUNTEERED TO
DO A COUPLE HOUR BLOCKS.
YOU GET PHONE CALLS FROM
CHILDREN AND WHAT YOU DON’T
EXPECT IT. SOME CALLS FROM
PARENTS GRANDPARENTS GREAT
GRANDPARENTS FROM ALL AROUND
THE WORLD OTHER THAN SOME CALLS
FROM GERMANY ENGLAND, JAPAN
AND A LOT OF TIMES IT’S IT’S
PARENTS COMMON WHO IT’S BEEN A
TRADITION SINCE THE 60’S OR
70’S WHEN WHEN THEY WERE A
CHILD AND THEY CONTINUE TO CALL
HIM SO IT’S JUST A GREAT
VARIANCE TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW
WHERE SANTA IS
AN END.
>> MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A
NICE CHRISTMAS EVE AND SO THEY
CALL YOU AND ASK WORSE THAN
AN HOUR TO THEY SHARE MORMON
PERSONAL THINGS WITH MY THEY
CAN DO BOTH THEY THEY CAN GO
HEY WHERE SANTA NOW AND LIKE
LIKE YOU SAID THEY SANDERS RATE
IN AUSTRALIA
RIGHT NOW. AND THEN THEY GO OH
WHERE IS HE GOING OR OR HEY CAN
YOU TALK TO SANTA AND I EVEN
HAD A LITTLE GIRL IN ENGLAND.
A COUPLE
YEARS AGO.
>> GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE KIND
OF DIATRIBE OF WHY HER YOUNGER
BROTHER SHOULDN’T GET A
PRESENCE IN AN APPARENT SLIP,
THE YOUNGER BROTHER COME ON
LINE IS THAT THAT’S NOT THERE
WAS A FAMILY AFFAIR SOUNDS LIKE
A EVERY HOUSEHOLD OUT THERE IN
AMERICA WITH KIDS
THAT AGE.
>> SO WHERE CAN PEOPLE GO IF
THEY WANT TO ACTUALLY TRACK
SANTA
AS WELL.
>> SO IF YOU WANT TO TRACK
SANTA YOU CALL AND 1, 8, 7, 7,
HI, NORAD SO H I
OUR AD OR YOU CAN
GO ONLINE ITS NORAD SANTA
DOT ORG. ONLINE YOU CAN SEE A
MAP OF THE WORLD AND THEN ZOOM
INTO YOUR LOCATION.
THERE’S ALSO APPLICATIONS AND
GAMES ON THERE SO YOU GET A
PRETTY GOOD IDEA AND AND AS YOU
CAN SEE YOU HAVE IT UP ON
THE SCREEN.
>>LAUREN VERNO: YOU GUYS DO
SUCH A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU FOR
ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND NOW THE
PANDEMIC HAS PROBABLY
CHANGED YOUR YOU REPORTERS
THERE THIS YEAR, BUT WE THANK
YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO AND
HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
>> WELL WELL THANK YOU AND I IF
YOU DON’T MIND. I LIKE TO SAY
CONGRATULATIONS
TO HARMONY. THAT IS GREAT TO
HEAR EARLIER TODAY BUT IF SHE
WANTS TO JOIN THE AIR FORCE
WE’RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE
YEAH.
>>LAUREN VERNO: YEAH I HEAR,
YEAH WE’LL LET HER KNOW THAN