Welcome to Union Fire Protection District

As the temperature outside drops families take to the indoors to keep safe and warm.  Although cozy, this seasonal ritual can increase the risk of home heating fires.  Nearly half of all home-heating fires occur during the winter months & can be associated with structure fires, injuries & deaths.  While this information can be frightening, nearly all these fires are preventable.  Home heating fires can be reduced in the community by taking some simple precautions and using heating equipment properly.”

The Union Fire District recommend some simple home heating safety tips, so residents can help keep the community safe and warm this winter: 

• Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding, or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
• Plug power cords only into outlets with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.
• Inspect for cracked, frayed or broken plugs or loose connections. Replace before using.
• Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary. 
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen. 
• Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a metal container.
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home - when one sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside sleeping areas.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.
• Have furnaces checked by a professional before the heating season

Stay safe and have a warm winter. 

Please keep in mind the number of persons in the Community contracting COVID-19 is increasing every day. We all are trying to return to our normal daily routines however, more time is needed for a vaccine to be developed and administered. 

In the meantime, continue to practice everyday preventive actions as recommended by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are working to help keep you and the community safe from the threat of a novel, or new corona virus. Take the following everyday steps to help avoid the spread of not only the Covid but all respiratory viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Continue social distancing, staying six feet apart.
• Recommend wearing a face mask when in public.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects or surfaces such as 

                    remote controls and doorknobs.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home if you are sick. Call your doctor if you develop fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.

The Union Fire Protection District is asking residents to use caution when open burning on their property. Open burning of tree limbs and residential brush is allowed only outside the Union City limits. The open burning period is limited to the period beginning September 16th and ending April 14th. Brush piles are limited to 16 square feet and the burning may occur between the hours of 10:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. 

The Franklin County area has received favorable precipitation in the recent few weeks, yet conditions can become unfavorably dry in a matter of days. A resident who is burning on their property can quickly create an escalating out of control natural cover fire resulting in damage to others’ properties. Such fires have been known to spread to homes and structures destroying them. 

Prior to open burning one should contact the Franklin County Communication Center at 636-583-2567 or Union Fire Protection District Station #1 at 636-583-2515 to confirm open burning will be allowed given the current or forecasted weather conditions.

 Some guidelines to follow are: 

· Burn piles should be limited to 16 sq. ft.

· Do not burn within 50’ of a structure

· Wind speed must be less than 10 miles an hour

· Humidity should be greater than 50%

· Keep a fire extinguisher, garden hose, dirt, or sand on hand as an extinguishing agent

All open burning should be constantly attended, and residents need to have the availability to call 911 if their open burning should get out of control. Household trash, tires, shingles, siding, and treated lumber should not be burned.