Lawrence County, Alabama (pop. 33,073), stretching from the Tennessee River south into the Bankhead National Forest, is protected by ten fire departments. The Moulton Fire Department, in the county seat, is a combination department whose single station is staffed around the clock by three firefighter/EMTs and backed by 22 volunteers. Nine volunteer departments, including Courtland, Town Creek, Hillsboro and Hatton, cover the rest of the county's 717 square miles. Lawrence County E-911 dispatches fire, law enforcement and medical calls.
Lawrence County E-911 (Emergency Communication District)
(256) 974-7201- Moulton Fire Department (business line): (256) 974-0279
- Lawrence County EMA / E-911 office (county line): (256) 974-0663
- Moulton Fire Department, 15089 Court Street, Moulton, AL 35650, USA
- cityofmoultonal.com/fire
- Moulton FD office: Mon–Fri 8:00–16:00 (CT), closed holidays; station staffed 24/7
Who Provides Fire Protection in Lawrence County
- Moulton Fire Department — combination: three state-certified firefighter/EMTs, twenty-two volunteer firefighters and a fire chief, working from one station that is staffed 24/7. It covers about 4,000 residents inside the city and about 5,000 more in its unincorporated fire district, which the city puts at roughly 136 square miles. Besides fires it answers vehicle crashes, hazardous materials and special-response calls, and runs fire code inspections and school safety programs.
- Nine volunteer fire departments — Courtland, Town Creek, Hillsboro Area, Hatton, Mt Hope, Chalybeate, Speake, Caddo-Midway and Red Bank; member numbers are not published.
Lawrence County E-911, with one 911 center (PSAP) in Moulton, coordinates responses for law enforcement, fire and medical emergencies. Fire departments and rapid responders are paged over two radio repeaters, Bankhead (south) and Courtland (north), and ambulances are run by Lawrence County EMS. 911 sends the right department based on your address.
Fire Departments in Lawrence County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moulton Fire Department (1) | Combination | 15089 Court St, Moulton, AL 35650 | (256) 974-0279 |
| Hatton VFD (3) | Volunteer | 7144 AL Hwy 101, Town Creek, AL 35672 | (256) 685-0754 |
| Courtland Fire Dept (4) | Volunteer | 271 Alabama St, Courtland, AL 35618 | (256) 476-1951 |
| Town Creek Fire Dept (5) | Volunteer | 16016 Main St, Town Creek, AL 35672 | (256) 685-3344 |
| Hillsboro Area VFD (6) | Volunteer | 17577 AL Hwy 20, Hillsboro, AL 35643 | (256) 214-1099 |
| Mt Hope VFD (7) | Volunteer | County Rd 23, Mt Hope, AL 35651 | (256) 476-1584 |
| Chalybeate VFD (8) | Volunteer | 69 County Rd 296, Hillsboro, AL 35643 | (256) 974-9090 |
| Speake VFD (9) | Volunteer | 6449 County Rd 81, Danville, AL 35619 | (256) 974-4070 |
| Caddo-Midway Fire & Rescue (10) | Volunteer | 7909 County Rd 214, Trinity, AL 35673 | (256) 355-0671 |
| Red Bank VFD (11) | Volunteer | 1817 County Rd 314, Town Creek, AL 35672 | (256) 685-9823 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Estimated Response Time
In Moulton, one staffed station covers about 6.0 square miles of land, an average radius of roughly 1.4 miles. If its whole 136-square-mile fire district is counted, the radius grows to about 6.6 miles, so outlying district addresses can wait longer. The rest of the county (about 685 square miles, roughly 43 residents per square mile) has nine volunteer stations, about 4.9 miles each, and volunteers must first reach the station.
| Radius | Moulton (combination) | Rural county (volunteer) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 5–8 min | 8–12 min |
| 1.5–3 mi | 7–10 min | 10–14 min |
| 3–6 mi | 9–13 min | 12–18 min |
| > 6 mi | 13+ min | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 5–8 minutes for most addresses in Moulton 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 Moulton. Woodland fires are fought with the Alabama Forestry Commission. The Tennessee River forms the county's northern edge, and part of the William B. Bankhead National Forest and the Sipsey Fork lie in the south.
Apparatus & Equipment
Moulton Fire Department fleet:
- Front-line pumpers
- 3
- Rescue/grass truck
- 1
- Tanker
- 1
- Service/support truck
- 1
Volunteer fleets are not published.
- Fire suppression
- Hazmat
- Rescue
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
Moulton Fire Department: the city's fire page states a Class 4/9 fire rating, but June 2022 council work-session minutes record that the department's latest ISO rating had moved from Class 5 to Class 6. Ask the city for the current class. Ratings for the rural volunteer districts 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 Moulton, check city rules with the fire department at (256) 974-0279.
Neighboring Counties
- Limestone County, AL (northeast)
- Morgan County, AL (east)
- Cullman County, AL (southeast)
- Winston County, AL (south)
- Franklin County, AL (west)
- Colbert County, AL (west)
- Lauderdale County, AL (northwest)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Lawrence County?
Lawrence County E-911: (256) 974-7201. Moulton Fire Department business line: (256) 974-0279. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Moulton?
Nine volunteer departments: Courtland, Town Creek, Hillsboro Area, Hatton, Mt Hope, Chalybeate, Speake, Caddo-Midway and Red Bank. 911 dispatches the right one based on your address.
Is the Moulton Fire Department full-time?
It is a combination department: three state-certified firefighter/EMTs keep its one station staffed 24/7, backed by 22 volunteer firefighters and a fire chief.
How fast does the fire department respond in Lawrence County?
About 5–8 minutes for the first unit in Moulton and about 12–18 minutes in rural areas, depending on distance from the nearest volunteer station.
Do I need a burn permit in Lawrence County?
Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679. Inside Moulton, check city rules with the fire department at (256) 974-0279.
Last verified:
- City of Moulton — Fire Department (staffing, fleet, district, rating, phone)
- City of Moulton — Council work session minutes, June 13, 2022 (ISO rating)
- Lawrence County — E-911 (dispatch, office line)
- Lawrence County — EMA/TVA (EMA office)
- Alabama 911 Board — Emergency Communication Districts (Lawrence County ECD phone, PSAP)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (departments, addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- RadioReference — Lawrence County (AL) (station numbers, repeaters, Lawrence County EMS)
- Wikipedia — Lawrence County, Alabama (population, area, neighbors, geography)
- Wikipedia — Moulton, Alabama (land area)