Burden Fire Department is located at the corner of 5^th Street and Chestnut Street in Burden. The current location at 508 Chestnut has been occupied since it was built in 1980. Burdens first Fire Department was located in the 1st City Building at 510 Main Street in the early 1900’s which is now the Burden Museum. The Fire Department moved to a new location behind the old City of Burden Offices at 428 Main Street at the corner of 5^th and Main Streets and consisted of two fire trucks. In 1976 the fire department reorganized and consisted of 32 volunteer firefighters dedicated to improving the fire service of the city of Burden and to actively train and improve their skills as firefighters and emergency personnel

     In 1978 the City of Burden and the townships of Silver Creek, Sheridan, and the East one half of Salem Townships joined to form what is now Cowley County Fire District #3. The fire department continues to be all volunteer with a staff of 22 firefighter/emergency medical personnel. The department is responsible for 94 square miles with a population of 1050 residents.

     The department now has eight fire and one medical response vehicle to cover the described area.

     Burden Fire responds to an average of 70 fire and mutual aid related calls and 80 medical calls per year. All the firefighters are State of Kansas Certified Firefighter 1, and consist of three EMT’s and six Medical First Responders. The fire department provide Basic Life Support, Medical First Response, Structural Fire Suppression, Wild land Fire Suppression, is the only department in the county to have an active Fire Cadet Program, has personnel trained in tracking lost and missing persons, were instrumental in the creation of a local C.E.R.T Group (citizen emergency response team) and firefighters perform fire safety and prevention training to the local schools, organizations and private citizens. The department and firefighters are also actively involved in supporting the community.

Some suggestions that will help expedite emergency services are:

     Make sure your home address is visible from the street and the house numbers should be three to four inches in height and be reflective.

     When reporting a fire or medical emergency dial 9-1-1. The emergency dispatcher will immediately answer your call, and in most cases be able to identify the phone number you are calling from and identify the address. They will then ask a number of questions to help identify your emergency and what emergency resources are needed.

     Everyone should know hoe to escape if there is a fire in their home. By following some simple safety tips, you can create a home escape plan that’s right for you.

Draw a home escape plan that shows two ways out of every room in the house.

Make sure windows and doors can be unlocked and opened quickly.

Have a special meeting place in front of your house where the family can meet.

If you live in a building with more than one level, have escape ladders for the upstairs rooms.

Install smoke detectors on every level and in all bedrooms test them once a month and change batteries every year.

Sleep with bedroom doors closed.

Count all family members at your meeting place.

If someone is missing, tell the firefighters where that person might be. Never go back inside a burning structure.

If a fire breaks out in your home, remember the following tips:

Check the door with the back of your hand-if you feel heat, use your second exit.

If there is smoke, crawl on your hands and knees to the closest exit.

Teach children how to get out of the house.

Call 9-1-1 from a neighbor’s home.

Remember; NEVER go back into a burning house

Stay low near the window or door.

Put blankets, rugs, or pillows at the bottom of the door to keep out smoke.

Signal out the window with a sheet, towel or flashlight.