Jefferson County, Alabama (pop. 674,721) is protected by a combination system. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service, the largest fire department in Alabama, runs 32 stations and its own ambulances. City departments in Hoover and Bessemer (both ISO Class 1), Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Homewood, about a dozen other municipal departments, and about 30 fire districts and volunteer departments cover the rest of the county's 1,111 square miles of land.
Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service (main line)
(205) 254-2052- Jefferson County 911 District: (205) 783-1911
- Bessemer Fire Department: (205) 428-5151
- BFRS, 1808 7th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203, USA
- birminghamal.gov — Fire & Rescue
- BFRS office: daily 7:30–16:30 (CT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Jefferson County
- Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service — career, 32 stations, airport ARFF; 70,184 incidents in 2025 (52,732 EMS).
- 18 other city departments, led by Hoover, Bessemer, Vestavia Hills and Homewood.
- Center Point Fire District and about 30 fire districts and volunteer departments.
Jefferson County 911 dispatches 20 towns and 17 fire districts; twelve cities run their own 911 centers. Call 911; calls are routed by address.
Fire Departments in Jefferson County
| Department | Type / stations | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Fire & Rescue | Career, 32 | (205) 254-2052 |
| Hoover FD | Career, 11 | (205) 822-5300 (city) |
| Bessemer FD | Career, 5 | (205) 428-5151 |
| Vestavia Hills FD | Career, 5 | (205) 978-0225 |
| Homewood Fire & Rescue | Municipal, 5 | (205) 332-6200 (ECD) |
| Mountain Brook FD | Municipal, 3 | (205) 802-3808 (ECD) |
| Center Point Fire District | Fire district, 4 | Not published |
| Trussville FD | Municipal | (205) 655-7478 |
| Hueytown Fire & Rescue | Municipal, 3 | (205) 491-3523 (ECD) |
| Irondale, Gardendale, Pleasant Grove, Tarrant, Midfield FDs | Municipal | ECDs: (205) 956-5990, 631-5722, 744-1735, 849-2811, 745-3551 |
| Fairfield, Fultondale, Leeds, Adamsville, Graysville, Warrior FDs | Municipal | Not published |
Fire districts and volunteer departments (AFC list):
- Adger VFD, Adger — (205) 424-6310
- Bagley Fire & Rescue, Dora — (205) 648-4608
- Brighton FD — (205) 428-3387
- Brookside VFD — (205) 674-8205
- Cane Creek VFD, Warrior — (205) 966-6701
- Corner Fire & Rescue, Warrior — (205) 647-4403
- Eastern Valley FD, Bessemer — (205) 424-0143
- Glennwood VFD, Morris — (205) 680-3356
- Kimberly FD — (205) 289-3084
- Lipscomb FD — (205) 428-6374
- Maytown FD, Mulga — (205) 910-2665
- Morris Fire & Rescue — (205) 647-0596
- Mulga VFD — (205) 781-4521
- North Johns FD, Adger — (205) 461-4679
- North Smithfield Manor Greenleaf Heights Fire District, Birmingham — (205) 276-6514
- Shady Grove VFD, Adamsville — (205) 674-1200
- Sylvan Springs FD — (205) 491-7637
- Trafford FD — (205) 612-8697
- Warrior River VFD, Adger — (205) 491-3477
- West Jefferson VFD, Quinton — (205) 674-3219
- Birmingport (2 stations), Concord (3), Forestdale, Indian Ford, McAdory, Minor, Mt. Olive, Palmerdale and Rocky Ridge fire districts — not published
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Birmingham Fire & Rescue Stations
1 (HQ) 1808 7th Ave N · 2 600 11th St S · 3 2210 Highland Ave · 4 110 Oslo Cir · 5 5601 East Lake Blvd · 6 317 15th St N · 7 437 6th Ave S · 8 4100 10th Ave N · 9 1228 27th St N · 10/22 4120 2nd Ave S · 11 4601 Bessemer Super Hwy · 12 6449 1st Ave N · 13 2229 30th Ave N · 14 535 8th Ave W · 15 1725 Jefferson Ave · 16 2001 Avenue I · 17 700 Lexington St · 18 200 Dugan Ave · 19 7713 Division Ave · 20 4825 Avenue W · 21 109 2nd Ave N · 23 4121 40th Pl N · 24 4316 Avenue Q · 25 3015 Wilson Rd · 26 1700 Montclair Rd · 27 400 Huffman Rd · 28 2501 Carson Rd · 29 1048 Lawson Rd · 30 1512 Springville Rd · 31 2478 Alton Rd · 32 3995 Hwy 280 S.
Estimated Response Time
Birmingham (32 stations, 147 sq mi) and Hoover (11 stations, 49 sq mi) both average a radius of about 1.2 miles. The rest of the county (964 sq mi, 492 residents per sq mi) has about 81 stations, roughly 2.0 miles each; rural stations are farther apart and volunteers must first reach the station.
| Radius | Birmingham, Hoover (career) | Suburban cities | Rural districts (volunteer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 4–6 min | 5–8 min | 8–12 min |
| 1.5–3 mi | 6–8 min | 7–10 min | 10–14 min |
| 3–6 mi | 8–11 min | 9–13 min | 12–18 min |
| > 6 mi | 11+ min | 13+ min | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 4–6 minutes in Birmingham and Hoover, 7–10 minutes in the other suburbs and 10–14 minutes in the rural fire districts.
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 |
BFRS provides hazmat, decon and USAR units. Rural roads often lack hydrants, so water comes by tanker; woodland fires are fought with the Alabama Forestry Commission. An EF4 tornado struck the Birmingham area in the April 2011 outbreak.
Apparatus & Equipment
BFRS (2025 annual report):
- Engine companies
- 24
- Quints / ladder trucks
- 5 / 2
- ALS rescue (transport) / BLS units
- 18 / 5
- Airport ARFF units
- 5
- Hazmat / decon / brush
- 1 / 1 / 1
Other departments' fleets are not published.
- Fire suppression
- EMS transport
- Hazmat
- Technical rescue
- Airport ARFF
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO PPC: Hoover Class 1 (since 2017), Bessemer Class 1, Mountain Brook Class 2. Others: not published.
Outdoor burning: Inside a city, ask that city's fire department first. 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
- Walker County (northwest)
- Blount County (northeast)
- St. Clair County (east)
- Shelby County (southeast)
- Bibb County (south)
- Tuscaloosa County (southwest)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Jefferson County?
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service: (205) 254-2052. Jefferson County 911 District: (205) 783-1911. In an emergency, call 911.
Who fights fires outside Birmingham?
City departments such as Hoover, Bessemer and Vestavia Hills, Center Point Fire District and about 30 fire districts and volunteer departments. 911 sends the right one.
Which Jefferson County fire departments have an ISO Class 1 rating?
Hoover (since 2017) and Bessemer hold ISO Class 1. Mountain Brook holds Class 2.
How fast does the fire department respond in Jefferson County?
About 4–6 minutes in Birmingham and Hoover, 7–10 minutes in the other suburbs and 10–14 minutes in rural fire districts.
Do I need a burn permit in Jefferson County?
Inside a city, ask that city's fire department first. Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679.
Last verified:
- City of Birmingham — Fire & Rescue, stations, 2025 Annual Report
- City of Bessemer — Fire Department
- City of Vestavia Hills — Fire
- City of Trussville — Fire Department
- Jefferson County 9-1-1 District
- Alabama 911 Board — ECDs
- AFC — Volunteer Fire Departments (Aug 2025)
- AFC — Burn Permits
- NERIS registry (Homewood, Hueytown, Concord, Birmingport, Indian Ford)
- Hoover: Hoover Sun (ISO 1), ABC 33/40 (11 stations)
- Village Living — Mountain Brook ISO 2
- Bhamwiki — Center Point Fire District
- Wikipedia — Jefferson County, Alabama
- Wikipedia — Birmingham and Hoover