Bibb County, Alabama (pop. 22,293) is protected almost entirely by volunteers. Nine fire departments listed by the Alabama Forestry Commission, with about 190 registered volunteer firefighters, cover the county's 626 square miles from at least 11 stations, including the city departments of Brent and Centreville and the town department of West Blocton. Green Pond is the only department listed as a combination (paid and volunteer) service. All fire and medical emergencies are dispatched through 911 from the county dispatch center in Centreville.
Non-emergency dispatch
(205) 926-3129- Bibb County Emergency Management (EMA Director): (205) 926-3113
- Bibb County Sheriff's Office: (205) 926-4683
- Centreville Fire Department (via City Hall): (205) 713-8886
- Bibb County Sheriff's Office, 157 S.W. Davidson Drive, Centreville, AL 35042, USA
- bibbal.com/emergency (Bibb Alert sign-up and emergency contacts)
- brierfieldfireandrescue.com (Brierfield Fire and Rescue)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Bibb County
Bibb County has no career (fully paid) fire department. Fire protection is provided by a network of community departments:
- City and town departments — Brent Volunteer Fire Department (in the county's largest city), Centreville Fire Department (in the county seat, which the city describes as entirely manned by volunteers) and the West Blocton fire department.
- Community volunteer departments — Brierfield Fire and Rescue, Cedar Grove, Eoline, Lawley and Randolph, plus Green Pond, which the Alabama Forestry Commission lists as a combination department. Together, the nine departments have 192 volunteer firefighters on the state's August 2025 roster.
Brierfield Fire and Rescue, the department with the most registered volunteers, covers Brierfield and Six Mile in northeast Bibb County and has a station in the Randolph community. You do not need to know which department covers you: 911 dispatchers send the right one based on your address.
Fire Departments in Bibb County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Volunteer Fire Department | Volunteer | 22 1st St, Brent, AL 35034 | (205) 926-4643 |
| Brierfield Fire and Rescue | Volunteer (3 stations) | 18567 Hwy 139, Brierfield, AL 35035 | (205) 665-3060 |
| Cedar Grove VFD | Volunteer | 13503 N Scottsville Rd, West Blocton, AL 35184 | Not published |
| Centreville Fire Department | Volunteer | 506 Montevallo Rd, Centreville, AL 35042 | (205) 926-4995 |
| Eoline VFD | Volunteer | 6480 Hwy 82, Centreville, AL 35042 | Not published |
| Green Pond Fire & Rescue | Combination | 19629 Eastern Valley Rd, Woodstock, AL 35188 | (205) 938-9991 |
| Lawley VFD | Volunteer (2 stations) | 2971 Hwy 36, Lawley, AL 36793 | (205) 926-9896 |
| Randolph VFD | Volunteer | 6953 Hwy 36, Randolph, AL 36792 (same site as Brierfield Station 3) | Not published |
| West Blocton Fire Department | Volunteer | 1139 Main St, West Blocton, AL 35184 | (205) 938-7622 (Town Hall) |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 or the non-emergency dispatch line (205) 926-3129 rather than a station number. The Brent and Centreville numbers are shared with City Hall.
Brierfield Fire and Rescue Stations
| Station | Address |
|---|---|
| Station 1 (Brierfield) | 18567 Hwy 139, Brierfield, AL 35035 (main station, est. 1976) |
| Station 2 (Six Mile) | 100 Sixmile School Rd, Centreville, AL 35042 (added 2013) |
| Station 3 (Randolph) | 6953 Hwy 36, Randolph, AL 36792 (added 2024) |
Green Pond Fire & Rescue also runs more than one station: besides its main station in Woodstock, the NERIS national registry lists a station at 4271 Grey Hill Rd, West Blocton, and one at 11350 Woodland Lake Rd, McCalla.
Estimated Response Time
Every department in Bibb County relies mainly on volunteers, who first have to reach the station before rolling out, so the volunteer baseline applies across the whole county. In the cities of Brent and Centreville, two stations share about 18 square miles, an average distance to the nearest station of roughly 1.7 miles. In the rest of the county, about nine stations cover some 605 square miles of mostly rural and forested land (about 36 residents per square mile countywide), an average radius of roughly 4.6 miles per station.
| Radius | Bibb County (volunteer) |
|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 8–12 min |
| 1.5–3 mi | 10–14 min |
| 3–6 mi | 12–18 min |
| > 6 mi | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 10–14 minutes for most addresses in Brent and Centreville and about 12–18 minutes for most rural addresses, longer in remote parts of the national forest. Brierfield Fire and Rescue has paramedics and EMTs among its volunteers, so its crews may reach a medical call before the ambulance does.
Estimated Fire Control Time
| Fire size | Example | Indicative time |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Grass patch, dumpster, small vehicle | 5–20 min |
| Medium | Room-and-contents, car fully involved | 15–45 min |
| Large | Whole house, commercial unit | 45–120 min |
| Major | Multi-alarm, industrial, large woodland fire | 2–12+ hours |
Outside the towns, many roads have no fire hydrants, so water is shuttled in by tanker trucks; Brierfield's tanker, for example, responds to every fire in its district. Neighboring volunteer departments are routinely called in for larger fires. Expect fire control times toward the upper end of each range in rural areas. Woodland fires, including those in the part of the Talladega National Forest that lies in the county, are handled together with the Alabama Forestry Commission.
Apparatus & Equipment
Brierfield Fire and Rescue fleet (as published by the department):
- Tanker (Tanker 206)
- 1
- Engines (Stations 2 and 3)
- 2
- Rescue truck (Station 3)
- 1
The other departments do not publish fleet lists. Brierfield's volunteer EMS staff include a critical care paramedic, three advanced EMTs and two EMTs.
- Fire suppression
- Tanker water supply
- EMS first response
- Wildland firefighting
- Mutual aid
Services & Community Programs
- Bibb Alert: the county's emergency text and email alert system; sign up at bibbal.com/emergency or ask the EMA Director at (205) 926-3113.
- Centreville Fire Department: business calls go to Centreville City Hall, (205) 713-8886.
- Volunteer firefighting: Brierfield Fire and Rescue trains on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Station 1, 18567 Hwy 139; visitors are welcome on Monday nights. Other departments recruit locally.
- Fire dues: Brierfield Fire and Rescue is funded by donations and fire dues.
Ratings & Accreditation
Brierfield Fire and Rescue: ISO PPC Class 4 (as published by the department). Ratings for the other Bibb County departments are not published.
Outdoor burning: A permit from the Alabama Forestry Commission, (800) 392-5679, is required for burns larger than ¼ acre. Burning without a permit is a misdemeanor, and statewide no-burn orders can apply during droughts. Inside Brent or Centreville city limits, check with City Hall before burning.
Neighboring Counties
- Jefferson County, AL (north)
- Shelby County, AL (northeast)
- Chilton County, AL (southeast)
- Perry County, AL (south)
- Hale County, AL (southwest)
- Tuscaloosa County, AL (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Bibb County?
The county dispatch office's non-emergency line is (205) 926-3129. Bibb County Emergency Management can be reached at (205) 926-3113. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Does Bibb County have a paid fire department?
No. All nine departments rely mainly on volunteers, including the Brent and Centreville departments. Green Pond Fire & Rescue is the only one listed as a combination department.
Which fire departments serve Bibb County?
Brent, Brierfield Fire and Rescue, Cedar Grove, Centreville, Eoline, Green Pond, Lawley, Randolph and West Blocton. 911 dispatches the right department based on your address.
How fast does the fire department respond in Bibb County?
In Brent and Centreville, the first unit usually arrives in about 10–14 minutes. In rural parts of the county, about 12–18 minutes is typical, depending on distance from the nearest volunteer station.
Do I need a burn permit in Bibb County?
Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679. Inside Brent or Centreville city limits, check with City Hall first.
Last verified:
- Bibb County — Emergency Information (EMA and Sheriff's Office contacts, Bibb Alert)
- Bibb County — Common Questions (non-emergency dispatch number)
- City of Centreville — Fire Department (volunteer status, City Hall number)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — List of Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (departments, type, addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — List of Volunteer Firefighters (August 2025) (volunteer count)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- Brierfield Fire and Rescue (stations, apparatus, EMS staff, ISO rating)
- NERIS national fire department registry (Lawley VFD and Green Pond station counts)
- U.S. Census Bureau — Bibb County QuickFacts (population, area)
- Wikipedia — Bibb County, Alabama (area, neighboring counties, national forest)
- Wikipedia — Brent, Alabama (city area)
- Wikipedia — Centreville, Alabama (city area)