Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Where should I place my smoke detector?
A. It is recommeded to have one in every bedroom, hallway, living room, and basement. If this is not possible, be sure to have one at least in a hallway where all occupants can hear in case of a fire.
Q. How often should I change my smoke detector batteries.
A. It is recommended to change your batteries each time you change your clocks with the seasons.
Q. I want to burn some brush on our land. Is this legal?
A. It is only legal in the months of September through April with a burn permit. You can obtain a burn permit at Fire Station # 1, Monday through Friday from 8 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Open burning is illegal inside of the city limits.
Q. How can I become an O.F.P.D. firefighter?
A. Have a high school diploma or equivalent, be a U.S. citizen, be at least 18 years of age at time of appointment, and maintain a current Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT)
Q. Is it really necessary to break the windows and put holes in the roof if a house has a fire?
A. As a fire burns, it moves upward, then outward. Removing windows and cutting holes in the roof stops that damaging outward movement of smoke and heat and enables us to locate potential victims, and fight the fire more effectively.
Q. What do the numbers on the sides of the trucks mean?
A. There are 4 numbers that make up a unit ID # in the metropolitan St. Louis area. The first 2 numbers are the department the truck is from, the third number is the station the truck is from, and the fourth number is what type of truck it is.
Q. Why do the firefighters take the truck to the grocery store, and to restaurants?
A. Our firefighters are on duty for 24 hours at a time. They bring the truck everywhere they go because they remain in service for any alarms that may come in.
Q. Who can I contact about having my child's car seat installed properly?
A. Please feel free to call any of our fire stations and we will be glad to assist you.
O'Fallon Fire Protection District
