Henry County, Alabama (pop. 17,146), on the Georgia line, is protected by six fire departments listed as volunteer by the Alabama Forestry Commission. Abbeville Fire & Rescue serves the county seat and Headland Fire-Rescue the largest city, where two advanced life support ambulances are staffed daily. Haleburg, Newville, Screamer and Shorterville volunteers cover the rest of the county's 562 square miles of land. Two 911 centers, in Abbeville and Headland, dispatch fire and rescue.
Henry County E-911 District (office, non-emergency)
(334) 585-1911- Abbeville Fire & Rescue (non-emergency): (334) 585-2000
- Headland Fire-Rescue (non-emergency): (334) 693-9325
- Headland dispatch (non-emergency): (334) 693-2222
- Henry County Emergency Management Agency: (334) 585-6702
- Headland Fire-Rescue, 456 E Main St, Headland, AL 36345, USA
- headlandalabama.org/publicsafety (Headland Fire-Rescue)
- County courthouse (101 Court Square, Abbeville): Mon–Thu 7:00–16:30 (CT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Henry County
- Headland Fire-Rescue — the City of Headland's fire-rescue agency, dating back to 1908. Its firefighters are volunteers, while two Type 1 advanced life support (ALS) ambulances are staffed daily. It provides fire suppression, inspections, technical rescue and emergency and non-emergency medical service.
- Abbeville Fire & Rescue — the county seat's department, one station on Bradley Street; listed as volunteer by the Alabama Forestry Commission.
- Four more volunteer fire departments — Haleburg, Newville, Screamer (three stations) and Shorterville.
Henry County has two 911 answering points: calls from the south end of the county go to the City of Headland and calls from the north end to the City of Abbeville, and each city dispatches police, fire and rescue in its area. The Henry County E-911 District office in Headland assigns addresses. 911 sends the right department based on your address.
Fire Departments in Henry County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeville Fire & Rescue | Volunteer (AFC list) | 201 Bradley St, Abbeville, AL 36310 | (334) 585-2000 |
| Headland Fire-Rescue | Volunteer fire, staffed ALS ambulances | 456 E Main St, Headland, AL 36345 | (334) 693-9325 |
| Haleburg VFD | Volunteer | 10361 George H Grimsley Hwy, Haleburg, AL 36319 | (334) 585-5555 |
| Newville VFD | Volunteer | 403 Bowden St, Newville, AL 36353 | (334) 889-8008 |
| Screamer VFD | Volunteer (3 stations) | 7642 County Rd 97, Abbeville, AL 36310 | (334) 585-3403 |
| Shorterville VFD | Volunteer | 7879 State Hwy 10 E, Shorterville, AL 36373 | (334) 585-5011 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Estimated Response Time
All six departments rely on volunteer firefighters, so crews must first reach the station. Abbeville's station covers about 15.5 square miles of city land, an average radius of roughly 2.2 miles; Headland's covers about 30.3 square miles, roughly 3.1 miles. The other six stations share the remaining 516 or so square miles (the county averages about 31 residents per square mile), an average radius of roughly 5.2 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 10–14 minutes in Abbeville and central Headland, 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 Abbeville and Headland, 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. The Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Power Plant in neighboring Houston County falls within Henry County's 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone, and the county EMA keeps plans for a radiation release. An F2 tornado struck Kirkland Street in Abbeville on November 5, 2002, and an EF-0 touched down about 1.5 miles north of Abbeville on January 4, 2019.
Apparatus & Equipment
- Class A pumpers (Headland)
- 2
- 95-foot aerial platform (Headland)
- 1
- Brush unit (Headland)
- 1
- All-terrain UTV (Headland)
- 1
- Type 1 ALS ambulances, staffed daily (Headland)
- 2
Headland's ambulances carry LUCAS mechanical CPR devices and Zoll X Series cardiac monitors. The other departments do not publish fleet lists.
- Aerial platform
- ALS ambulance (Headland)
- Technical rescue
- Tanker water supply
- Wildland
Services & Community Programs
- 911 addressing: new homes and businesses need an E-911 address; call (334) 585-1911. Allow up to 10 business days, and stake the location if the building is not yet built.
- CPR classes and smoke alarms: Headland Fire-Rescue runs community CPR classes and takes part in the Get Alarmed Alabama smoke detector program; (334) 693-9325.
- Nuclear and weather emergencies: Henry County EMA, 101 N Doswell St, Abbeville, (334) 585-6702.
- Volunteer firefighting: contact your local department; training follows Alabama Fire College courses.
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO Public Protection Classification ratings for Henry 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
- Barbour County, AL (north)
- Clay County, GA (northeast)
- Early County, GA (southeast)
- Houston County, AL (south)
- Dale County, AL (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Henry County?
Abbeville Fire & Rescue is (334) 585-2000 and Headland Fire-Rescue is (334) 693-9325. The Henry County E-911 District office answers (334) 585-1911. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Which fire departments serve Henry County?
Six departments: Abbeville Fire & Rescue, Headland Fire-Rescue and the Haleburg, Newville, Screamer and Shorterville volunteer fire departments. 911 dispatches the right department based on your address.
Who answers 911 calls in Henry County?
Two answering points: calls from the south end of the county go to the City of Headland and calls from the north end to the City of Abbeville. Each city dispatches police, fire and rescue in its area.
How fast does the fire department respond in Henry County?
In Abbeville and central Headland, 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 Henry 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:
- Henry County — E-911 District (two PSAPs, office, phone, addressing)
- Henry County Emergency Management Agency (address, phone, Farley Nuclear Plant EPZ)
- Henry County — Directory (fire department, dispatch, courthouse hours)
- City of Headland — Headland Fire-Rescue (address, phone, apparatus, ALS units, history)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (departments, addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- NERIS — Abbeville Fire & Rescue (station, 201 Bradley St)
- NERIS — Screamer Volunteer Fire Department (volunteer, three stations)
- National Weather Service Tallahassee — January 4, 2019 tornadoes (EF-0 north of Abbeville)
- Wikipedia — Henry County, Alabama (2020 population, area, density, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Abbeville, Alabama (land area, 2002 tornado)
- Wikipedia — Headland, Alabama (land area)