The Union City, Ohio Fire Department was first organized around 1854, when firefighting was done by volunteers using leather fire buckets and hooked ladders. About 1864, the department purchased a hose cart that was transported by hand. In 1905, the Indiana department purchased a hook and ladder wagon drawn by a team of horses, and horses were used until 1919, when Union City, Indiana purchased the now historic American-Lafrance motor fire truck. The Union City, Ohio Fire Department purchased its first fire truck in 1921, and in 1934 the department purchased a new fire truck with complete fire-fighting equipment. Using an old white bakery truck, the department started the first ambulance service in Darke and Randolph counties in 1955. Until June of 1997, the Union City, Ohio Fire Department had only five fire chiefs. The first fire chief has not been identified, but the second chief was George Brandon and the third chief was Charlie Rape. In 1935 Carl E. Wright Sr. became chief and served until 1957, when his son Carl Wright was named to the post; Douglas I. Wright later became the third generation of Wrights to serve the department.