Houston County, Alabama (pop. 107,202), in the state's southeast corner, is protected by a combination system: the career Dothan Fire Department, rated ISO Class 1, staffs ten stations around the clock in the county seat, while 17 volunteer fire departments, including Ashford, Columbia, Cottonwood and Webb, cover the rest of the county's 582 square miles. Dothan 911 handles calls inside the city; the Sheriff's Communications Division dispatches the volunteers.
Dothan Fire Department Administration (main line)
(334) 615-3500- Houston County Sheriff Communications (non-emergency, outside Dothan): (334) 677-4882
- Dothan/Houston County Emergency Management Agency: (334) 794-9720
- Dothan Houston County Communications District (E-911 office): (334) 615-3685
- Dothan Fire Administration, 600 Columbia Hwy, Dothan, AL 36301, USA
- dothanfd.org
- Fire Administration: Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00 (CT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Houston County
- Dothan Fire Department — career, providing fire suppression and emergency medical services from ten stations, with Hazmat and Technical Rescue teams (dive, trench, high angle). Its Operations Division works three shifts of two battalions, each battalion with 26 personnel, and every station is led by a Fire Captain. ISO Class 1.
- 17 volunteer fire departments (listed below); member numbers are not published.
Inside Dothan, 911 calls for police, fire and EMS go to Dothan Police Communications. The Houston County Sheriff's Communications Division takes every 911 call outside the city, backs up Dothan, and dispatches the 17 volunteer fire departments and 5 volunteer rescue squads. 911 sends the right department based on your address.
Fire Departments in Houston County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan Fire Department | Career (10 stations) | 600 Columbia Hwy, Dothan, AL 36301 (admin) | (334) 615-3500 |
| Ashford VFD | Volunteer | 102 5th Ave, Ashford, AL 36312 | (334) 899-5112 |
| Bay Springs Vol. Fire & Rescue | Volunteer | 1500 S Bay Springs Rd, Dothan, AL 36305 | (334) 692-3929 |
| Columbia VFD | Volunteer | 202 S Main St, Columbia, AL 36319 | Not published |
| Cottonwood VFD | Volunteer | 1386 Metcalf St, Cottonwood, AL 36320 | Not published |
| Cowarts Fire Dept. | Volunteer | 614 N Broad St, Cowarts, AL 36321 | (334) 792-8920 |
| Gordon VFD | Volunteer | 722 Tifton Rd, Gordon, AL 36343 | (334) 522-3256 |
| Hodgesville VFD | Volunteer | 538 Flournoy Moore Rd, Dothan, AL 36301 | Not published |
| Kinsey VFD | Volunteer | 6188 Walden Dr, Kinsey, AL 36303 | (334) 793-5409 |
| Lovetown VFD | Volunteer | 80 Hilltop Rd, Ashford, AL 36312 | (334) 691-1111 |
| Lucy VFD | Volunteer | 830 Truitt Rd, Gordon, AL 36343 | (334) 522-9111 |
| Madrid Community VFD | Volunteer | 829 Decatur Rd, Cottonwood, AL 36320 | (334) 405-3776 |
| Pansey VFD | Volunteer | 292 Dixon Rd, Pansey, AL 36370 | Not published |
| Rehobeth Fire Dept. | Volunteer | 235 Malvern Rd, Rehobeth, AL 36301 | (334) 702-8832 |
| Southern Junction VFD | Volunteer | 7323 S State Hwy 109, Slocomb, AL 36375 | (334) 714-8302 |
| Taylor VFD | Volunteer | 1530 S State Hwy 605, Taylor, AL 36301 | (334) 677-5079 |
| Webb VFD | Volunteer | 315 Webb-Kinsey Rd, Webb, AL 36376 | (334) 726-3758 |
| Wicksburg VFD | Volunteer | 5340 Judge Logue Rd, Newton, AL 36352 | (334) 692-3487 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Dothan Fire Department Stations
| Station | Address | Units / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Station 1 | 510 Columbia Hwy, Dothan | Engine 1, Truck 1, Battalion 1, Brush 1 |
| Station 2 | 175 Buford Ln, Dothan, AL 36301 | Engine 2, Hazmat 2, Heavy Rescue 4 (swift water) |
| Station 3 | 1502 Whatley Dr, Dothan | Engine 3, Truck 3, Battalion 2 (opened 2024) |
| Station 4 | 1751 Ross Clark Cir, Dothan, AL 36301 | Engine 4, dive equipment |
| Station 5 | 664 Ross Clark Cir, Dothan, AL 36301 | Engine 5 |
| Station 6 | 3239 Napier Field Rd, Dothan, AL 36303 | Not published |
| Station 7 | Dothan Regional Airport | Not published |
| Station 8 | 6055 W Main St, Dothan, AL 36305 | West Dothan |
| Station 9 | 365 Technology Dr, Dothan, AL 36303 | Not published |
| Station 10 | 2223 W Main St, Dothan | Opened July 2024 |
Source: Dothan FD station pages.
Estimated Response Time
In Dothan, ten staffed stations share about 89.8 square miles of land, an average radius of roughly 1.7 miles. The rest of the county (about 490 square miles, roughly 74 residents per square mile) has 17 volunteer stations, roughly 3.0 miles each, and volunteers must first reach the station.
| Radius | Dothan (career) | Rural county (volunteer) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 4–6 min | 8–12 min |
| 1.5–3 mi | 6–8 min | 10–14 min |
| 3–6 mi | 8–11 min | 12–18 min |
| > 6 mi | 11+ min | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 6–8 minutes for most addresses in Dothan and 10–14 minutes for most rural addresses, longer near the county line.
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 |
Many rural roads have no hydrants, so water comes by tanker and neighboring volunteers help; expect the upper end of each range outside Dothan. Dothan's Station 8 is first in on mutual aid for the western county, including Bay Springs and Wicksburg. Woodland fires are fought with the Alabama Forestry Commission.
Apparatus & Equipment
Dothan Fire Department fleet (published):
- Pumpers (engines)
- 8
- Ladder trucks
- 2
- Hazmat unit
- 1
- Heavy rescue
- 1
- Brush truck
- 1
- Utility vehicle (Gator)
- 1
- Battalion / command vehicles
- 3
Volunteer fleets are not published.
- Fire suppression
- EMS
- Hazmat
- Technical rescue
- Water rescue
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
Dothan Fire Department: ISO PPC Class 1 since April 1, 2018 (Class 2 before that). Ratings for the rural volunteer districts are not published.
Outdoor burning: Inside Dothan, a $25 burn permit (valid 7 days, natural vegetation only) is issued at Fire Administration, 600 Columbia Hwy, (334) 615-3500. Elsewhere 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.
Neighboring Counties
- Henry County, AL (north)
- Early County, GA (east)
- Seminole County, GA (southeast)
- Jackson County, FL (south)
- Geneva County, AL (west)
- Dale County, AL (northwest)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Houston County?
Dothan Fire Department administration: (334) 615-3500. Outside Dothan, Houston County Sheriff Communications: (334) 677-4882. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Dothan?
Seventeen volunteer departments, from Ashford and Columbia to Gordon, Webb and Wicksburg, cover the rest of the county. 911 dispatches the right one based on your address.
What ISO rating does Dothan have?
The Dothan Fire Department has held ISO Public Protection Classification Class 1 since April 1, 2018.
How fast does the fire department respond in Houston County?
About 6–8 minutes for the first unit in most of Dothan and about 10–14 minutes in rural areas, longer near the county line.
Do I need a burn permit in Houston County?
Inside Dothan, get a $25 permit from Dothan Fire Administration, 600 Columbia Hwy. Elsewhere, burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679.
Last verified:
- Dothan Fire Department — About Us (services, special teams, ISO)
- Dothan Fire Department — Operations (staffing, fleet)
- Dothan Fire Department — Fire Stations (addresses, units)
- Dothan Fire Department — Contacts (administration address, phone, hours)
- Dothan Fire Department — Burn Permit Information
- Houston County Sheriff's Office — Communications (dispatch, phones)
- Dothan Houston County Communications District (E-911)
- Dothan/Houston County EMA
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- Wikipedia — Houston County, Alabama (population, area, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Dothan, Alabama (population, land area)