🚨 Sign up for emergency alerts (do these two first)
Outdoor sirens were designed to warn people who are OUTSIDE. Layer up: phone alerts, a weather radio, and local radio/TV.
🔥 Your fire department
Hardin County has 13 fire departments, and your mailing address does NOT decide which one covers your home — your fire district does. In an emergency always call 911; dispatchers automatically send the right department. Not sure whose district you live in? Ask your nearest department or the Fire Chiefs Association.
🧯 Protect your home (and your firefighters)
Smoke detectors are the #1 thing firefighters find missing in Hardin County homes — many local departments will help you get one, out of their own pockets if they have to. Put reflective house numbers on your mailbox so crews can find you at night. And if you live in the unincorporated county, paying your fire department’s yearly subscription fee is one of the best ways to support the volunteers who protect you.
🍂 Outdoor burning rules
Kentucky fire hazard seasons: Feb 15 – Apr 30 and Oct 1 – Dec 15. During those windows it is illegal to burn within 150 feet of woodland or brushland between 6 AM and 6 PM. Local burn bans can apply any time it gets dry — check before you burn.
❤️ First responders: you matter too
PTSD is real in the fire service. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 any time.
