Lauderdale County, Alabama (pop. 93,564) is protected by a combination system: the career Florence Fire Rescue staffs five fire stations in the county seat, while 14 volunteer fire departments, including Killen, Lexington, Rogersville and Waterloo, cover the rest of the county's 668 square miles of land along the Tennessee River. Florence Fire supports the volunteers with technical and water rescue.
Florence Fire Rescue administration (main line)
(256) 760-6475- Lauderdale County Emergency Communications District (E-911): (256) 760-0911
- Florence/Lauderdale Emergency Management Agency: (256) 760-6363
- Florence Fire Rescue, 402 S. Wood Avenue, Florence, AL 35630, USA
- florenceal.org/public-safety/fire-department
- Florence Fire office: Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00 (CT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Lauderdale County
- Florence Fire Rescue — career, from five fire houses covering the city of Florence (over 40,000 people). It provides fire, rescue, hazardous materials and emergency medical response, and supports the county's 14 volunteer departments. Staffing numbers are not published.
- 14 volunteer fire departments (listed below); member numbers are not published. The Lauderdale County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments runs joint fire-prevention events with Florence Fire.
Florence Fire is part of the Alabama Mutual Aid System (AMAS) for rope, confined space, trench, water and structural collapse rescue, and works with the neighboring Colbert County Hazmat Team for larger hazardous materials incidents. 911 sends the right department based on your address.
Fire Departments in Lauderdale County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Fire Rescue | Career (5 stations) | 402 S Wood Ave, Florence, AL 35630 (HQ) | (256) 760-6475 |
| Anderson VFD | Volunteer | 7276 Hwy 207, Anderson, AL 35610 | (256) 247-7159 |
| Center Star VFD | Volunteer | 89 Montclair Rd, Killen, AL 35645 | (256) 757-1722 |
| Central VFD | Volunteer | 950 County Rd 279, Florence, AL 35633 | (256) 766-3330 |
| Cloverdale VFD | Volunteer | 11370 Hwy 157, Florence, AL 35633 | (256) 767-0900 |
| Elgin VFD | Volunteer | 286 Tracy Ln, Rogersville, AL 35652 | (256) 247-1800 |
| Greenhill VFD | Volunteer | 11 Melody Ln, Florence, AL 35634 | (256) 757-3014 |
| Killen VFD | Volunteer | 319 J C Mauldin Hwy, Killen, AL 35645 | (256) 757-8170 |
| Lexington VFD | Volunteer | 6007 Albert Brewer Dr, Lexington, AL 35648 | (256) 229-9997 |
| Mid-Lauderdale VFD | Volunteer | 4500 County Rd 47, Florence, AL 35634 | (256) 767-2746 |
| Oakland VFD | Volunteer | 5300 County Rd 15, Florence, AL 35633 | (256) 766-1274 |
| Rogersville VFD | Volunteer | 36 Wheeler St, Rogersville, AL 35652 | (256) 247-6826 |
| Underwood-Petersville VFD | Volunteer | 4661 Hwy 157, Florence, AL 35633 | (256) 764-7740 |
| Waterloo VFD | Volunteer | 6390 County Rd 14, Waterloo, AL 35677 | (256) 766-2266 |
| Zip City VFD | Volunteer | 9235 Hwy 17, Florence, AL 35634 | (256) 767-4260 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Florence Fire Rescue Stations
| Station | Address | Front-line units |
|---|---|---|
| Station 1 (headquarters) | 402 S Wood Ave, Florence, AL 35630 | Engine 1, Tower 1, Rescue 2 |
| Station 2 | 3722 Florence Blvd, Florence, AL | Not published |
| Station 3 | 1301 N Wood Ave, Florence, AL | Engine 3 |
| Station 4 | 3502 Huntsville Rd, Florence, AL | Engine 4 |
| Station 5 | 910 Cox Creek Pkwy, Florence, AL | Ladder 5, Medic 5 |
Source: City of Florence. A replacement for Station 4 (built 1964, about 1,100 calls a year) was approved in February 2025 for Mahogany Avenue and Franklin Street; check the city for its opening.
Estimated Response Time
In Florence, five staffed stations share about 27.1 square miles of land (about 1,480 residents per square mile), an average radius of roughly 1.3 miles. The rest of the county (about 641 square miles, 83 residents per square mile) has 14 volunteer stations, roughly 3.8 miles each, and volunteers must first reach the station.
| Radius | Florence (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 4–6 minutes for most addresses in Florence 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 |
Many rural roads have no hydrants, so water comes by tanker and neighboring volunteers help; expect the upper end of each range outside Florence. Woodland fires are fought with the Alabama Forestry Commission. The Tennessee River forms the county's southern and western boundary, and Florence Fire keeps a shallow-water rescue boat (Marine 1) at Florence Harbor.
Apparatus & Equipment
Florence Fire Rescue fleet (front line and reserve):
- Engines (Engines 1, 3, 4; Engine 12 reserve)
- 4
- Aerials (Tower 1, Ladder 5; Tower 5 reserve)
- 3
- Rescue / squad (Rescue 2; Squad 10 reserve)
- 2
- Heavy technical rescue
- 1
- Medic unit (Medic 5)
- 1
- Battalion chief vehicle
- 1
- Rescue boat (Marine 1)
- 1
Volunteer fleets are not published.
- Fire suppression
- Technical rescue
- Water rescue
- Hazmat (limited)
- EMS
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO Public Protection Classification ratings for Florence and the volunteer districts are not published. The Florence Fire Training Center hosts classes as an Alabama Fire College Regional Training Center.
Outdoor burning: Inside Florence, ask Florence Fire Rescue about city burning rules at (256) 760-6475. 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
- Wayne County, TN (north)
- Lawrence County, TN (north)
- Giles County, TN (northeast)
- Limestone County, AL (east)
- Lawrence County, AL (southeast)
- Colbert County, AL (south)
- Tishomingo County, MS (west)
- Hardin County, TN (northwest)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Lauderdale County?
Florence Fire Rescue administration: (256) 760-6475. Lauderdale County E-911 district: (256) 760-0911. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Florence?
Fourteen volunteer departments, from Waterloo and Cloverdale to Killen, Lexington and Rogersville, cover the rural county. 911 dispatches the right one based on your address.
What ISO rating does Florence have?
Florence Fire Rescue does not publish its ISO Public Protection Classification online. Ask the department at (256) 760-6475 or your insurance agent.
How fast does the fire department respond in Lauderdale County?
About 4–6 minutes for the first unit in Florence and about 12–18 minutes in rural areas, depending on distance from the nearest volunteer station.
Do I need a burn permit in Lauderdale County?
Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679. Inside Florence, ask Florence Fire Rescue at (256) 760-6475.
Last verified:
- City of Florence — Fire Department (contact, hours, training center)
- City of Florence — Stations & Apparatus (stations, fleet)
- City of Florence — Technical Rescue Team (coverage, AMAS, hazmat)
- City of Florence — Emergency Management / E-911 (EMA)
- Alabama 911 Board — Emergency Communications Districts (Lauderdale County ECD)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- WAFF — New Florence fire station approved (2025) (Station 4)
- Wikipedia — Lauderdale County, Alabama (population, area, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Florence, Alabama (population, land area)