UNION TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Capt. Steve Auffart was honored by the Union Township Board of Trustees for 25 years of service to the township’s fire-rescue department, the department said in a Facebook post.
Trustees recognized Auffart during their meeting Tuesday night, presenting him with an award marking a quarter-century with Union Township Fire-Rescue. The department asked residents to join in thanking Auffart for his years protecting the community.
Union Township Fire-Rescue traces its roots to two volunteer departments, the Withamsville Fire Department, established in 1942, and the North Union Fire Department, established in 1956. The two merged in 1990 to form the unified Union Township Fire Department under its first chief, Ray Rumpke.
The department has since grown to six stations staffed around the clock by full-time, cross-trained firefighters and paramedics serving a township of nearly 50,000 residents. It has held accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International since 2004, and in 2023 the Insurance Services Office upgraded the department’s public protection rating.
Austin Clements has served as fire chief since February 2024, succeeding Stan Deimling, who led the department from 1992 until 2023.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Union Township Fire-Rescue.