Volunteer

UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT

Ellston, IA · Ringgold County

UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT is a Volunteer department serving Ellston, IA (Ringgold County), with 1 station and 10 total personnel. Full equipment, coverage, and staffing data from HIFLD are below.

10
Total personnel
1
Stations
Fire trucks
No
EMS service
-50%
below IA avg personnel
(20/dept)
0th
percentile by size
of 590 IA depts
10
personnel per station
staffing density
None
no FEMA grants on record
AFG / SAFER

Department Profile

Type
VOLUNTEER
Location
Ellston, IA
FDID
80011

Staffing vs the Iowa average

How UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT's personnel count compares to the typical department in Iowa. It is larger than 0% of the 590 reporting departments statewide.

▼ 50% below the state average
Stations
1
State fire deaths/yr
39
IA departments
810

What This Data Tells You About UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT

UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT operates as a Volunteer department in Ellston, within Ringgold County, and the HIFLD and USFA records give a precise structural picture of its response capacity. The department reports 10 total personnel, 1 station, no truck inventory reported. EMS capability is listed as not provided, which directly affects how medical calls in the service area are routed and how quickly an advanced life support unit can reach a patient. Department type matters because career, volunteer, and combination organizations carry very different response-time profiles and funding sources.

Benchmarking against the state gives this profile context. Iowa has 810 registered fire departments and 16,337 total personnel, averaging roughly 20 staff per department. UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT runs 50% below that state average, signalling a leaner crew typical of smaller jurisdictions or heavily volunteer-staffed areas. The state records about 22,700 fires, 39 fire deaths, and 70% volunteer coverage each year, which shapes training, funding priorities, and mutual-aid patterns felt at every department in the state.

No FEMA AFG or SAFER grant awards are recorded against this department's FDID in USAspending data, which is common for smaller or volunteer-heavy organizations that lean on state and local funding instead. Residents, insurers, and mutual-aid partners use these data points to judge whether coverage is adequate for the built environment, whether ISO ratings are defensible, and where future capital investment should flow. All figures on this page come from the Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD) public dataset, USFA published statistics, and USAspending.gov, and are presented without editing so the underlying federal record remains transparent and verifiable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many firefighters does UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT have?

UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT has 10 total personnel according to HIFLD data. This is 50% below the Iowa average of 20 per department.

Does UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT provide EMS services?

UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT does not provide EMS. A separate EMS agency likely covers this area.

How many fire stations does UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT operate?

UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT operates 1 fire station.

What type of fire department is UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT?

UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT is a Volunteer department serving Ringgold County, IA. Volunteer departments rely on community members who serve without full-time compensation.

How many fire departments are in Iowa?

Iowa has 810 fire departments with 16,337 total personnel. 70% are volunteer departments.

Data from HIFLD Open Data (FEMA/DHS). Not all departments report equally.

Nearby Departments

MOUNT AYR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
Mount Ayr · volunteer
TINGLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT
Tingley · other
All IA departments →

Related

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFireData Editorial

Federal data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from FEMA/DHS HIFLD Open Data. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.