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)

If you are unable to attend the breakfast but would like to donate, please send a check payable to the Union Vale Rescue Squad, PO Box 161, Billings, NY  12510 and put 'Cheryl' in the memo line. 

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.     

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. Our first campaign will begin on October 27 and end December 31.  

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   

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SANTA RUN

Update: Thanks to all for the very receptive Santa Run support!! And thank you for all your nice comments!!

 Below is the route Santa will take to drive by and wave to our residents! The timeline is only an estimate. Santa could drive by earlier or later than stated. We will try our best to keep residents updated via Facebook - cell service a factor.

Listen for the fire truck sirens as we navigate through town! 

The Santa Run will begin at 1 p.m.

Santa will NOT be getting out of the fire truck.

 It is suggested that children, and those who are hearing sensitive, wear ear protection. Horns and sirens will be used to alert residents of Santa.

• Please note if there is an emergency prior to or during the Santa Run, equipment must respond at once to the emergency.
• Video/photos may be taken by our district’s media officer and posted publicly on our Facebook and/or Instagram pages.

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.