Union County Fire Station 3

06/29/2025

Union County Volunteer Fire Station 3 had a great Open House Saturday. We appreciate all who attended and we are grateful for the continued support. Thank you!!!

06/24/2025

Union County Volunteer Fire Station 3 invites you to its annual Open House on Saturday, June 28th. The Open House is a great opportunity for the citizens to visit with the firefighters, view the fire apparatus and equipment, and to have some good food provided by the station.
Come join us this Saturday from 11am-2pm. Station 3 is located at 14 Waldroup Road, on Gainesville Hwy next to Jim’s Smokin Que.

05/28/2025

The Why.
Leadership is a favorite topic of mine and I have read many books on the subject. One of the best is Start with Why by Simon Sinek. In the book, he explains that a leader must know what their organization does, how they do it, but most important why they do it. Organizations who know their “why” are more successful. We at UCFD strive to provide the “why” to our firefighters every day. We also want the public to know and understand the fire department’s “why.”
I believe that most people understand what the fire department does. Most would simply say that we fight fire, however there is much more. We respond to all fires, medical calls, motor vehicle accidents, searches, rescues, hazardous materials, and just about any other emergency you can think of.
I also think that most people have an idea of how we do things. We have explained the various certifications and training needed to perform our “jack-of-all-trades” job. We try to employ the latest techniques and use the most up-to-date equipment. But I doubt that many people understand why we do what we do. Why would a person take all those hours of training? Why would they get up in the middle of the night to help strangers? Why?
To explain why firefighters do the job is difficult to put into words. We can give the yearbook answer of we “want to help people” but if you think about it; most people want to help. So what makes a firefighter different? Firefighters go beyond just wanting to help; they are moved to action – they do help. They put an effort into responding to an emergency, knowing what to do, and actually helping people in their time of need.
Firefighters sacrifice time and sweat to go to classes. They sacrifice time away from their families. Why do they do this? Some firefighters may enjoy the excitement of a call. Some may like the opportunity to see or do things that others do not. However, most firefighters can agree that the main reason, their why, is to make a difference.
Firefighters make a difference every day. They get a fulfillment from knowing that their response made a difference in someone’s life. That is the reason why. Firefighters do not join the department for what the department does or even for how the department does it; they join for the “why” the department exists, to make a difference. Union County Fire Department ~Our Family Protecting Your Family~

05/21/2025

04/30/2025

04/23/2025

04/16/2025

Outdoor Burning for Spring
During this time of the year, property owners may be disposing of leaves and other yard debris by outdoor burning. These fires are usually small and are in a person’s yard or on their private property. These fires do produce smoke and may be concerning to neighbors or persons passing by. However, most of these fires are well contained, controlled burns, and should not be a concern.
In Georgia, property owners are allowed to burn hand piled leaves and/or yard debris without a permit as long as they follow the outdoor burning safety standards as explained by the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC). It is important that everyone understands the elements and dangers of outdoor burning as well as the outdoor burning safety standards.
The outdoor burning safety standards are actions and precautions that property owners must take to provide safety and to prevent out of control wildfires. A GFC awareness campaign was launched a few years ago introducing the theme “Take Five” before the burn and to remember the acronym “S-S-T-A-R” representing the five points of the outdoor burning safety standard.
The first “S” represents Space. There must be 25 feet or more between the fire and woodlands. The second “S” also represents Space stating that there must be 50 feet or more between the fire and any structures. The “T” represents Time. Burning can only be conducted from sunrise to sunset. The “A” represents Attendance. A person responsible for the fire must stay onsite with the fire until it is completely extinguished.
The “R” represents Reasonable Precautions. The concept of reasonable precautions is to have tools and measures in place to prevent the fire from escaping. These include things such as a continuous pressurized water source on site; man-made or natural barrier to contain the fire; hand tools or fire-containing equipment on site; weather awareness such as red flag warnings, High Fire Danger designation, and other hazardous conditions such as low relative humidity, high winds, etc.
Just as a reminder, property owners are only allowed to burn certain materials. Only hand-piled leaves or naturally occurring yard debris can be burned. Household garbage or other man-made materials cannot be burned.
Everyone who burns hand-piled leaves or yard debris should research the law and outdoor burning safety requirements. For more information about outdoor burning and the five safety precautions, please visit www.gatrees.org. Union County Fire Department ~Our Family Protecting Your Family~