Geneva County, Alabama (pop. 26,659), on the Florida state line, is protected entirely by volunteers. Ten volunteer fire departments cover the county's 579 square miles: Geneva, the county seat at the junction of the Choctawhatchee and Pea rivers, plus Samson, Slocomb, Hartford, Black, Coffee Springs, Malvern, Bellwood, Fadette and Flat Creek–Gainer–Hacoda–Reese. Hartford Fire-Rescue also runs an ALS ambulance service. All fire and medical emergencies are dispatched by Geneva County 911.
Geneva County 911 (non-emergency)
(334) 684-6947- Geneva Fire Department (non-emergency): (334) 684-0704
- Geneva County Emergency Management Agency: (334) 684-5677
- Geneva EMS (non-emergency): (334) 684-2586
- Geneva Fire Department, 612 E Magnolia Ave, Geneva, AL 36340, USA
- genevaal.gov/fire (City of Geneva Fire Department)
- EMA office (200 N Commerce St, Geneva): Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00 (CT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Geneva County
- Geneva Fire Department — the all-volunteer department of the county seat. It dates back to 1836, started out on Town Avenue and moved into a new station on Magnolia Avenue in 2007.
- Nine more volunteer fire departments — Samson, Slocomb, Hartford, Black, Coffee Springs, Malvern, Bellwood, Fadette and Flat Creek–Gainer–Hacoda–Reese, each listed by the Alabama Forestry Commission with its own station.
Hartford Fire-Rescue describes itself as both a fire department and an ALS ambulance service; in Geneva, Geneva EMS runs separately from 701 S Commerce St. Geneva County 911, whose office is in Hartford, runs the county's single 911 center and dispatches the fire and rescue agencies. Departments from neighboring counties, such as Battens VFD in Coffee County, are called in for tanker support. 911 sends the right department based on your address.
Fire Departments in Geneva County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva Fire Department | Volunteer | 612 E Magnolia Ave, Geneva, AL 36340 | (334) 684-0704 |
| Bellwood VFD | Volunteer | 4945 County Rd 45, Bellwood, AL 36313 | (334) 588-3483 |
| Black VFD | Volunteer | 117 N Main St, Black, AL 36314 | (334) 684-0650 |
| Coffee Springs VFD | Volunteer | 103 N Main St, Coffee Springs, AL 36318 | (334) 360-2692 |
| Fadette VFD | Volunteer | 5309 S State Hwy 103, Slocomb, AL 36375 | Not published |
| Flat Creek–Gainer–Hacoda–Reese VFD | Volunteer | 4245 Alford Rd, Samson, AL 36477 | (334) 898-7118 |
| Hartford Fire-Rescue | Volunteer (with ALS ambulance) | 503 S 3rd Ave, Hartford, AL 36344 | (334) 588-0906 |
| Malvern VFD | Volunteer | 653 Ward St, Slocomb, AL 36375 | (334) 794-8395 |
| Samson VFD | Volunteer | 9 S Ripley St, Samson, AL 36477 | (334) 898-9845 |
| Slocomb VFD | Volunteer | 324 S State Hwy 103, Slocomb, AL 36375 | (334) 886-2334 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 or Geneva County 911 at (334) 684-6947 rather than a station number.
Estimated Response Time
Every department in Geneva County is volunteer, so crews must first reach the station before rolling out. In the four cities (Geneva, Hartford, Slocomb and Samson), four stations share about 35 square miles of land, an average distance to the nearest station of roughly 1.7 miles. The other six stations cover the remaining 540 or so square miles of mostly rural land (the county averages about 46 residents per square mile), an average radius of roughly 5.4 miles per station.
| Radius | Volunteer departments |
|---|---|
| ≤ 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 8–14 minutes in Geneva, Hartford, Slocomb and Samson, and 12–18 minutes for most rural addresses.
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 |
Away from the cities, many roads have no hydrants, so water comes by tanker and neighboring volunteers are called in; expect the upper end of each range. Woodland fires are fought with the Alabama Forestry Commission. Geneva sits where the Pea River joins the Choctawhatchee: in March 1990 the river crested at 38.54 feet there and flooded 450–500 homes outside the town's levee, and in July 1994 it reached 42.42 feet. On January 25, 2026, an EF2 tornado struck downtown Geneva.
Apparatus & Equipment
- Samson VFD units sent to one house fire (October 2022)
- 3
Geneva County's volunteer departments do not publish fleet lists. At that 2022 fire, Coffee Springs VFD also responded and Battens VFD brought tanker support.
- Tanker water supply
- Wildland
- ALS ambulance (Hartford)
- Mutual aid
Services & Community Programs
- 911 addressing: Geneva County 911 assigns and verifies addresses and lets residents register home, business and livestock details so responders can find them; call (334) 684-6947.
- Ambulance in Geneva: Geneva EMS, 701 S Commerce St, non-emergency (334) 684-2586.
- Weather and river levels: Geneva County EMA, (334) 684-5677, links to National Weather Service river readings.
- Volunteer firefighting: contact your local department; all ten rely on volunteers.
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO Public Protection Classification ratings for Geneva County's fire departments 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, and statewide no-burn orders can apply during droughts. Inside city limits, check city rules with the local fire department.
Neighboring Counties
- Coffee County, AL (north)
- Dale County, AL (northeast)
- Houston County, AL (east)
- Jackson County, FL (southeast)
- Holmes County, FL (south)
- Walton County, FL (southwest)
- Covington County, AL (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Geneva County?
Geneva County 911 answers (334) 684-6947. The Geneva Fire Department's non-emergency line is (334) 684-0704. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Which fire departments serve Geneva County?
Ten volunteer fire departments: Geneva, Samson, Slocomb, Hartford, Black, Coffee Springs, Malvern, Bellwood, Fadette and Flat Creek–Gainer–Hacoda–Reese. 911 dispatches the right department based on your address.
Does Geneva have a full-time fire department?
No. The City of Geneva describes its fire department as all-volunteer. It operates from a station at 612 E Magnolia Ave, built in 2007.
How fast does the fire department respond in Geneva County?
In Geneva, Hartford, Slocomb and Samson, the first unit usually arrives in about 8–14 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 Geneva County?
Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679. Inside city limits, check local rules with the fire department.
Last verified:
- City of Geneva — Fire Department (address, phone, history, volunteer status)
- City of Geneva — Geneva EMS
- Geneva County Emergency Management Agency (phone, address, hours)
- Alabama 911 Board — Emergency Communication Districts (Geneva County ECD phone, office, PSAP)
- Geneva County 911 (agencies dispatched, addressing)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (departments, addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- City of Hartford — Hartford Fire-Rescue (fire and ALS ambulance service)
- National Weather Service — Alabama Flood Events (Geneva crests 1990, 1994)
- ADECA — Tornado damage in downtown Geneva (2026)
- WTVY — Multiple units respond to Geneva County home fire (2022)
- Wikipedia — Geneva County, Alabama (2020 population, area, neighbors; city land areas from linked city articles)