Services

The Union Township Fire Department offers the following services:

Education

The function of public education is to educate the children and citizens of Union Township about fire prevention. The Union Township Fire Department offers fire house tours and demonstrations of vehicles and equipment for educational purposes.  In addition, the fire department offers child safety seat/car seat inspections to township residents. Car seats are evaluated for safety compliance and compatibility.

Prevention

The Union Township Fire Department continues to be proactive in fire prevention, both internally and in the community. The Union Township Fire Department provides smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and batteries to township residents free of charge.

Child Safety Seats

The department evaluates child car seats for safety compliance.

CPR / AED Training

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) education is provided to the West Clermont Local School District. Each year, the department trains students and faculty in these life-saving endeavors. In addition, the department provides this training to neighborhood and community groups and local businesses. Please take a look at the upcoming CPR and First Aid Classes.

Fire Event Planning

Fire escape plan training, fire extinguisher training, and other non-emergency training are available through the department.

At your request, department personnel will make a home fire inspection and provide suggestions on better fire-proofing your residence.

Adopt A School

In addition to fire prevention and education, our personnel are involved in the "Adopt a School" program in township elementary schools. The program aims to ensure a fire department presence in the school every couple of weeks for an hour or two. Firefighters participate in activities such as reading to students, becoming involved with a school project or fair, and having lunch with a group or class. These activities include fire safety education, and the crews familiarize themselves with the building layout and the school staff. The education of the students, staff, and firefighters will be beneficial in an emergency at school or home.

Blood Pressure Checks

Township residents may go to one of the fire stations any weekday between 9 am and 9 pm for a blood pressure check.

Fire Safety

4 Easy Steps To Help Save Your Life!

1. Install at least one smoke detector on every level of your home, especially near sleeping areas.
2. Keep your smoke detectors properly maintained. Test them at least once a month to ensure they are working correctly. Replace batteries at least twice a year.
3. Develop an escape plan and review the plan with all members of your family. Be aware that children and older adults may need special assistance.
4. Practice fire drills in the home. Make sure everyone knows what to do in case of a fire. Since you may not be able to reach your children during an actual fire, they must participate in the escape drills. They need to know how to escape.

Is Your Home Safe?

It is a question we do not think about very often, but it could mean the difference between life and death! American homes suffer an unwanted fire every 10 seconds, and every 60 seconds, they suffer a fire severe enough to call the fire department. Most importantly, every two hours, someone is killed in a house fire - that exceeds 4,000 people last year alone. Another 20,000 people are injured in house fires each year. 

Most house fires occur in the kitchen while cooking but are often extinguished with only minor damage since a person is generally present. Protecting your family from fire requires advanced planning for what to do if a fire strikes. It also involves learning how to prevent fires from ever happening. 

The most dangerous fires occur at night while most people are asleep. Most victims succumb to the smoke and toxic gases and not to burns. Fires produce poisonous gases that spread rapidly and far from the fire to claim victims who are asleep and unaware of the fire. Even if they awaken, the effects of exposure to these gases can cloud their thinking and slow their reactions so that they cannot make their escape. This is why it is so crucial for you and your family to have sufficient warning so that you can all escape before your ability to think and move is impaired. More than half of fatal fires occur when people are asleep, so test your detector now!

Smoke / CO Detector Program

The Union Township Fire Department is relentlessly pursuing to provide smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors for all its citizens to ensure safety in every township home. Smoke detectors, CO detectors, and batteries are available free of charge to residents.

Plan Review

The function of plan review is to collect and evaluate the commercial business plans for new development and the rehabilitation of existing buildings in Union Township. The fire department works with the Clermont County Building Department to ensure that all construction is designed and built to code and is safe for our residents and visitors.

Inspection Program

The purpose of conducting life safety inspections of commercial businesses is to promote the safety and well-being of our customers and visitors to the township. Every commercial building is inspected annually to ensure that fire safety codes are being enforced. The Union Township Fire Department utilizes the Ohio Fire Code for enforcement purposes. Inspections are also available for foster care and adoption licensees as required by the State of Ohio.

Hydrants

Fire hydrants are one of the most essential elements for firefighters during a fire incident.

Within the Union Township Fire Department response area are approximately 2,700 private and public fire hydrants maintained by department personnel.

To ensure every fire hydrant is in working order, fire department personnel inspect, grease/oil, and flush every hydrant beginning in spring.

During summer, fire hydrants are inspected regularly to remove obstructions and cut grass and weeds around the hydrant. In the fall, firefighters check every hydrant to make sure the hydrant is free of water (dry) to prevent freezing during cold weather.

Frozen fire hydrants are a serious problem and cause the hydrant to be inoperable for fire operations.

Fire hydrants must be free of any obstructions, including high grass, weeds, and shrubbery, for a distance of 36 inches and should be visible from the street. Many fire hydrants are color-coded to indicate their rated gallons capacity per minute (gpm) flow.

The top bonnet of the fire hydrant, or a reflective band, will be colored light blue, indicating 1,500 gpm or greater; green to indicate 1,000 to 1,499 gpm; orange to indicate 500 to 999 gpm; and red to indicate flows of less than 500 gpm.

Repair of public fire hydrants is the responsibility of the Clermont County Water Department.

Repairs to private fire hydrants are the responsibility of the property owner.

Fire hydrants that are out of service and awaiting repair are identified by a large yellow bag over the hydrant.

Fire hydrant problems should be reported to the fire department by calling 513-528-4446.