District Three Firefighters in Dartmouth are helping to make it a "Merry Christmas" at the Schwartz Center.

The Center offers services to children with special educational or development needs.

Fire Captain Corey Pimental tells WBSM News, firefighters collected six large bags of new toys for students at the Center.

"For the past four or five years, we've been collecting toys for the Schwartz Center. There has to be families there that need the assistance, and we're happy to help them," said Captain Pimental.

Pimental says passersby often stop and donate toys during the month of December, and District 3 firefighters donate themselves.

One of the Schwartz Center students stopped by the fire station on Wednesday for a tour of the building. Seventeen year old Zach also had the chance to sit behind the wheel of a fire truck.

Development Manager Beatrice Oliveira says Zach was looking forward to the visit. "He's an enthusiast for fire safety, that's for sure," said Oliveira. "He was very excited about coming and I think he enjoyed meeting the firefighters and getting a tour of the station. It was sweet of them to do this," Oliveira said.

Zach has been a student at Schwartz since he was three years old.  He was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information.

Thanks to help from teachers and staff members at Schwartz, officials now say Zach is an exemplary student.

Zach behind the wheel of a fire truck / Jim Phillips TSM
Zach behind the wheel of a fire truck / Jim Phillips TSM
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