Cherokee County, Alabama (pop. 24,971) is protected almost entirely by volunteers. Twelve fire departments, dispatched by Cherokee County Central Dispatch (E911), cover about 600 square miles of hills, farmland and the shoreline of Weiss Lake. The Centre Fire Department in the county seat is a combination department with a paid chief, about 25 volunteers and an ISO Class 4 rating; the other eleven departments are volunteer. For any fire or medical emergency, call 911.
Sheriff's Office dispatch (non-emergency)
(256) 927-3939- Sheriff's Office non-emergency line: (256) 927-3365
- Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency: (256) 927-3367
- City of Centre (City Hall, for the Centre Fire Department): (256) 927-5222
- Centre Fire Department, 401 E Main St, Centre, AL 35960, USA
- centreal.gov — Centre Fire Department
- Centre City Hall: Mon–Fri 8:00–16:00 (CT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Cherokee County
- Centre Fire Department — a combination department with a paid fire chief and a roster of about 25 volunteers, half of them certified firefighters and hazardous materials first responders. It provides all-hazards response to Centre and surrounding parts of the county and holds an ISO Class 4 rating.
- Eleven volunteer departments — Broomtown/Rinehart, Cedar Bluff, Ellisville, Gaylesville, Leesburg, McCord's Crossroads, Mount Weisner, Sand Rock, Spring Creek, Spring Garden and Tucker's Chapel. Leesburg alone lists 30 volunteers.
All twelve departments are dispatched by Cherokee County Central Dispatch (E911). The county EMA director also serves as the 911 administrator. Parts of Piedmont, Collinsville and Sand Rock extend into neighboring counties. You do not need to know which department covers you: 911 sends the right one based on your address.
Fire Departments in Cherokee County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre Fire Department | Combination | 401 E Main St, Centre, AL 35960 | (256) 927-5222 (City Hall) |
| Broomtown/Rinehart FD | Volunteer | 2340 County Rd 46, Gaylesville, AL 35973 | Not published |
| Cedar Bluff VFD | Volunteer | 4861 Main St, Cedar Bluff, AL 35959 | Not published |
| Ellisville VFD | Volunteer (2 stations) | 7200 AL Hwy 9 S, Centre, AL 35960 | Not published |
| Gaylesville VFD | Volunteer (2 stations) | 4740 Main St, Gaylesville, AL 35973 | Not published |
| Leesburg FD | Volunteer | 1900 Lokey St, Leesburg, AL 35983 | (256) 526-7777 |
| McCord's Crossroads VFD | Volunteer (2 stations) | 1150 County Rd 157, Centre, AL 35960 | Not published |
| Mount Weisner VFD | Volunteer | Not published | Not published |
| Sand Rock VFD | Volunteer | 1805 Sand Rock Ave, Leesburg, AL 35983 | Not published |
| Spring Creek VFD | Volunteer | 6420 County Rd 22, Centre, AL 35960 | Not published |
| Spring Garden VFD | Volunteer | Not published | Not published |
| Tucker's Chapel VFD | Volunteer | 2495 County Rd 47, Fort Payne, AL 35967 | Not published |
Volunteer station addresses come from the NERIS national registry and may differ from mailing addresses. Volunteer stations are not always staffed: for anything urgent, call 911 or dispatch at (256) 927-3939.
Estimated Response Time
Centre covers about 11.7 square miles of land from one station, an average distance of roughly 1.9 miles to the station. Its responders are mostly volunteers, so the combination baseline applies. The rest of the county, about 542 square miles with roughly 45 residents per square mile, shares about 15 volunteer stations, an average radius of roughly 3.4 miles. Volunteers must first reach the station before rolling out.
| Radius | Centre (combination) | Rural county (volunteer) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 5–8 min | 8–12 min |
| 1.5–3 mi | 7–10 min | 10–14 min |
| 3–6 mi | 9–13 min | 12–18 min |
| > 6 mi | 13+ min | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 7–10 minutes for most addresses in Centre and about 12–18 minutes for most rural addresses, longer on lake peninsulas and mountain roads.
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 |
Most of the county has few or no hydrants, so water is shuttled by tanker and neighboring volunteer departments are called in for mutual aid; expect times toward the upper end of each range outside town limits. Woodland fires on ridges such as Weisner Mountain are fought with the Alabama Forestry Commission.
Apparatus & Capabilities
None of the departments publishes a fleet list. Centre reports that half of its firefighters are hazardous materials first responders. On Weiss Lake, fire departments such as Cedar Bluff and Gaylesville have joined drowning searches alongside the Cherokee County Rescue Squad, Alabama Marine Police and the Sheriff's Office.
- Hazmat first response
- Water search support
- Wildland firefighting
Ratings & Accreditation
Centre Fire Department: ISO PPC Class 4. Ratings for the volunteer districts are not published.
Outdoor burning: In Alabama, a permit from the Alabama Forestry Commission, (800) 392-5679, is required for burns larger than ¼ acre. Statewide no-burn orders can apply during droughts. Check with your town hall for local rules inside town limits.
Neighboring Counties
- DeKalb County, AL (north)
- Chattooga County, GA (northeast)
- Floyd County, GA (east)
- Polk County, GA (southeast)
- Cleburne County, AL (south)
- Calhoun County, AL (south)
- Etowah County, AL (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Cherokee County?
The Sheriff's Office lists dispatch at (256) 927-3939 and a non-emergency line at (256) 927-3365. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Are Cherokee County's firefighters volunteers?
Mostly, yes. Eleven of the twelve departments are volunteer. The Centre Fire Department is a combination department with a paid chief and about 25 volunteers.
What ISO rating does Centre have?
The Centre Fire Department reports an ISO Public Protection Classification of Class 4.
How fast does the fire department respond in Cherokee County?
In Centre, the first unit usually arrives in about 7–10 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 Cherokee County?
Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679. Check with your town hall for local rules.
Last verified:
- City of Centre — Fire Department (type, volunteers, ISO rating)
- City of Centre (City Hall phone and hours)
- Town of Leesburg — Fire Department (address, phone, volunteers)
- Cherokee County Sheriff's Office (dispatch and non-emergency numbers)
- Cherokee County Sheriff's Office — Weiss Lake drowning search
- Alabama 911 Board — Shawn Rogers (EMA director and 911 administrator)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- U.S. Census Bureau — Cherokee County QuickFacts (population, area)
- U.S. Census Bureau — Centre city QuickFacts (city land area)
- NERIS national fire department registry (station addresses and counts)
- RadioReference — Cherokee County (AL) (department list, E911 dispatch)
- WVSM — Cherokee County EMA offers new app (EMA phone)