Welcome to the Official Website for Union Vale Fire District

Union Vale Fire District Union Vale Fire District, October 28 We provide service not only to the Town of Union Vale, but also work closely with our Mutual Aid Departments to serve you as quickly and efficiently as possible. We employ the services of Empress EMS to handle our EMS calls. This is done to help serve you, the residents of the Town of Union Vale. Our department has a roster of 58 volunteer members, and we respond to over 700 fire and EMS calls ... (Full Story & Photos)

https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/air-quality/open-burning

The New York State Annual brush burning ban is in effect from March 10 through May 14.

Gov. Hochul has signed a proclaimation that moves the date ahead for the Hudson Valley

south to Long Island due to dry conditions, wind and low humidity. 

What Can I Burn?

The following types of open fires are allowed in NYS. All fires must consist of only charcoal or dry, clean, untreated, and unpainted wood. 

• Campfires, small cooking fires, or any other outdoor fire less than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in length, width, or diameter. Information on building a safe campfire can be found below. 
• Ceremonial or celebratory bonfires, including the disposal of flags or religious items if it is not otherwise prohibited by law or regulation.
• For most of the year, downed tree limbs and branches (also called brush) that are less than 6 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length, including branches with attached leaves, are allowed to be burned on-site in towns with total population less than 20,000 residents. The burning of brush is prohibited from March 16 through May 14 due to the increased risk of wildfires.
• Open fires to control the spread of invasive species are allowed with case-by-case approval from DEC. Approval can be obtained from DEC regional offices. 
• Open fires on agricultural lands, as discussed below.

Prescribed burns, such as the burning of forest land to achieve a vegetative or wildlife management goal, can be performed, but only in accordance with DEC regulations. Check with your regional DEC office.

What is Prohibited?

• Burning refuse, trash, tires, and other solid wastes. This includes burning trash or other solid wastes in a burn barrel or similar device. 
• Burning loose leaves or leaf piles.
• Burning pressure or chemically treated wood, painted or stained wood, or composite wood such as plywood and particle board. Firewood that has been heat treated or kiln dried is allowed to be burned.
• The practice of burning large piles of brush collected from local residents at town or county transfer sites. The individual landowners in small towns may burn their brush on-site, as discussed above. Downed limbs and branches generated at a transfer site are also allowed to be burned on-site with the same restrictions.

Burning on Agricultural Lands

Open fires are allowed on contiguous agricultural land larger than 5 acres that is actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural activities. Open fires on agricultural land are not subject to the annual brush burning ban. The following restrictions apply to open fires on agricultural land:

• Only organic agricultural wastes may be burned on-site where they are grown or generated, including brush and wood produced by clearing fields and other activities.
• The materials must be capable of being fully burned within 24 hours.
• Burning of pesticides, plastics, trash, or other non-organic material is prohibited.
• Burning tires and other wastes for smudge is prohibited.
• The use of liquid petroleum fueled smudge pots to prevent frost damage to crops is allowed.
• Individual open fires to control plant and animal disease outbreaks are allowed as approved on a case-by-case basis by DEC, upon the request by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets.
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Union Vale Fire Company ‘Pulls It’ Together

UNION VALE - The Union Vale Fire Company is working in conjunction with our local chapter of the Eastern District Home Bureau’s Dutchess County Chapter, Real People, organizing a ‘Pull Tab’ campaign to collect ALUMINUM pull tabs for Ronald McDonald House (RMHC) in Albany, NY.  

The campaign will run for the entire year of 2025. 

We invite Union Vale residents and our neighbors to participate and help us collect as many tabs as possible!

All aluminum tabs collected will be given to the Real People Chapter of DC Home Bureau who in turn will donate them to Ronald McDonald House in Albany.

NEW - People can now drop off their aluminum tabs at Union Vale Town Hall, 249 Duncan Road, (GPS) LaGrangeville, at Tymor Park, Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

According to RMHC of the Capital Region’s website, it states they collect aluminum pull tabs which are recycled to raise funds for their mission. They suggest collecting aluminum tabs from soda, soup, pet food, and other canned goods such as tennis ball cans and anything else with an aluminum pull tab. RMHC works with a local recycler to redeem the tabs for money to support families with seriously ill or injured children.

Supporters and friends of all ages can pull together to help children and families!

What is a Pull Tab: A pull tab is the piece of aluminum that opens the cans. Like the can, the pull tab can be recycled and redeemed for cash. It is a small yet valuable item!

Steel vs. Aluminum: Aluminum pull tabs only. You can determine one from the other by using a magnet.

Why collect pull tabs: Collecting pull tabs make it easy to recycle and help RMHC of the Capital Region at the same time!  You can collect pull tabs on your own at home, or collect them with a group at school, at work, or anywhere else you can think of! Thousands of dollars are raised each year when people Pull Together!

Our initial campaign will begin on Oct. 27 and end Dec. 31. The campaigns will run each quarter of next year.

You may save your pull tabs in a zip lock bag for our campaign. 

NEW - You can now drop off your aluminum tabs at Union Vale Town Hall, 249 Duncan Road, thanks to the Town Clerk! UVFD will have a container there!

If you wish to participate or have any questions, please contact our Public Relations Officer, Kathy Welsh at UVFDPIO@gmail.com

Fun Facts!

1 pull tab = 1 inch

12 pull tabs = 1 foot

1,267 pull tabs = 1 pound

63,360 pull tabs = 1 mile

1,000,000 pull tabs = 790 pounds

1,578,044,160 pull tabs = 1 trip around the earth   

Support our EMT Cheryl Mehrkar as she recovers from her double-lung transplant 

Fundraiser for Cheryl Mehrkar by Suzanne Palmer : Support Cheryl's Double Lung Transplant Journey (gofundme.com)

Cheryl's Double Lung Transplant Story:

According to a GoFundMe account set up by a relative of Cheryl’s, anybody who knows Cheryl also knows that she is an adrenaline junkie. Bungee jumping at a NYC charity benefit, completing SCUBA Dive Master status, skydiving to support a friend’s birthday wish, riding her Harley Davidson in the Outer Banks of N.C. and upstate N.Y. and of course achieving Black Belt in Karate and going on to co-own The Bushido School of Karate with her husband for over 20 years. However, her health set-backs also made her tire easily and she realized she would have to step away from instructing.

A visit to the pulmonologist showed that, although she had lost 30 pounds and muscle mass due to the hyperactive thyroid, she had also developed COPD with asthma. Inhalers were prescribed and helped with the shortness of breath for many years.

It was important for her to remain active, which is crucial to lung health, as well as her mental health. In 2019 she became an EMT so that she could volunteer with Union Vale Fire Company / Rescue Squad as a First Responder. She felt blessed to find this as another passion, and privileged to help members of her community in their time of need.

In the spring of 2022 she contracted COVID and this caused a huge change in her physical abilities. She was breathless simply walking across the room. An appointment with her pulmonologist (for perhaps stronger inhalers) resulted in Oxygen being prescribed and a referral for a double lung transplant. Life changed instantly for both Cheryl and Shahin.

Due to numerous tests and appointments for Cheryl, as well as the requirement of lung transplant centers that the patient have a caretaker 24/7, Shahin retired to be Cheryl’s caretaker. They had no choice but to close their business of over 20 years. The loss of income has been substantial and the out-of-pocket costs associated with treatment have become a financial struggle.    

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Snow Thrower Safety

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants you and your family to be safe when using snow throwers. CPSC has received reports of injuries with snow throwers, including finger amputations. Injuries most frequently occur when consumers tried to clear the auger/collector or discharge chute with their hands. 

People have died after becoming caught in the machine. Others have died from carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from leaving the engine running in an enclosed space.

CPSC offers the following safety tips for using snow throwers:

• Stop the engine and use a long stick to unclog wet snow and debris from the machine. Do not use your keep hands to unclog a snow thrower. 

• Always keep hands and feet away from all moving parts. 

• Never leave the machine running in an enclosed area. 

• Add fuel to the tank outdoors before starting the machine; don’t add gasoline to a running or hot engine. Always keep the gasoline can capped, and store gasoline out of the house and away from ignition sources. 

• If you have an electric-powered snow thrower, be aware of where the power cord is at all times. 

Most snow thrower injuries happen when consumers try to clear snow from the discharge chute or debris from the auger/collectors. Always stop the engine before attempting to clear snow and debris from any part of the snow thrower.

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  NEW - If you wish to make a donation to the Fire Company, please visit www.paypal.me/UVFC

                   For Rescue Squad - www.paypal.me/UVRS

                   Thank you in advance!

 Join Us!
 The Union Vale Fire District serves just fewer than 5000 residents living in the Town of Union Vale.

 We have approximately 65 volunteer firefighters, fire police, EMTs, and drivers, not to mention the auxiliary who support them.

 Help us continue as a volunteer organization by donating a portion of your time to your community.

 All training and equipment is provided at no cost to the  volunteer.

 Please visit one of the stations (Verbank or Clove) on any Monday night, 7-9 pm, during the weekly Truck Check.