Macon County, Alabama (pop. 19,532) is protected by a combination system: the career Tuskegee Fire Department, rated ISO Class 5/5, staffs one station in the county seat with 25 members, while 10 volunteer fire departments, including Notasulga, Shorter, Franklin and Fort Davis, cover the rest of the county's 609 square miles of land. 911 calls are handled by the Macon County Emergency Communications District.
Macon County Emergency Communications District (911 office)
(334) 727-1911- Tuskegee Fire Department (non-emergency): (334) 720-0510
- Macon County Sheriff's Office (dispatch): (334) 727-2500
- Tuskegee Fire Department, 904 E Martin Luther King Hwy, Tuskegee, AL 36083, USA
- tuskegeealabama.gov — Fire Department
Who Provides Fire Protection in Macon County
- Tuskegee Fire Department — career, with a staff of 25 members, 21 of them firefighters in the operations division, working from one fire station on E Martin Luther King Highway. The city lists its ISO rating as Class 5/5.
- 10 volunteer fire departments (listed below), from Notasulga and Shorter to Chehaw, Little Texas and Warrior Stand; member numbers are not published.
The Macon County Emergency Communications District in Tuskegee runs the county's 911 system, and the Town of Franklin notes that its emergency calls are dispatched through the Macon County Sheriff's Office. 911 sends the right department based on your address. The county is home to Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field.
Fire Departments in Macon County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuskegee Fire Department | Career (1 station) | 904 E Martin Luther King Hwy, Tuskegee, AL 36083 | (334) 720-0510 |
| Brownville VFD | Volunteer | 350 Rogers Rd, Auburn, AL 36830 | Not published |
| Chehaw VFD | Volunteer | 47 Chehaw St, Tuskegee, AL 36083 | (334) 727-4800 |
| District 3 VFD | Volunteer | 10365 US Hwy 80 W, Shorter, AL 36075 | (334) 727-7111 |
| Fort Davis VFD | Volunteer | 17210 County Rd 2, Fort Davis, AL 36031 | Not published |
| Franklin VFD | Volunteer | 1670 AL Hwy 49, Tuskegee, AL 36083 | (334) 727-0570 |
| Little Texas VFD | Volunteer | 3974 County Rd 69, Tuskegee, AL 36083 | (334) 727-3444 |
| Macedonia VFD | Volunteer | 3001 County Rd 10, Tuskegee, AL 36083 | (334) 727-9455 |
| Notasulga VFD | Volunteer | 17 W Main St, Notasulga, AL 36866 | (334) 257-4444 |
| Shorter VFD | Volunteer | 2521 Old Federal Rd, Shorter, AL 36075 | (334) 727-9190 |
| Warrior Stand VFD | Volunteer | 11630 County Rd 10, Union Springs, AL 36089 | (334) 727-7471 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Estimated Response Time
In Tuskegee, one staffed station covers about 17.1 square miles of land, an average radius of roughly 2.3 miles. The rest of the county (about 592 square miles, 17 residents per square mile) has 10 volunteer stations, roughly 4.3 miles each, and volunteers must first reach the station.
| Radius | Tuskegee (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 Tuskegee 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 Tuskegee. Woodland fires are fought with the Alabama Forestry Commission. On July 6, 2005, during Tropical Storm Cindy, an F1 tornado touched down about 8 miles northwest of Tuskegee near the Woodland community and destroyed an auto body shop.
Apparatus & Equipment
Tuskegee Fire Department fleet:
- Ladder truck
- 1
- Brush truck
- 1
- Rescue unit
- 1
Tuskegee also runs several pumpers (number not published). Volunteer fleets are not published.
- Fire suppression
- Rescue
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
Tuskegee Fire Department: ISO PPC Class 5/5, as listed by the City of Tuskegee. Ratings for the rural volunteer districts are not published.
Outdoor burning: Inside Tuskegee, ask the Tuskegee Fire Department about a burn permit at (334) 720-0510. 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
- Tallapoosa County, AL (north)
- Lee County, AL (northeast)
- Russell County, AL (southeast)
- Bullock County, AL (south)
- Montgomery County, AL (southwest)
- Elmore County, AL (northwest)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Macon County?
Tuskegee Fire Department non-emergency: (334) 720-0510. Macon County Emergency Communications District: (334) 727-1911. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Tuskegee?
Ten volunteer departments, from Notasulga and Shorter to Franklin, Fort Davis and Warrior Stand, cover the rural county. 911 dispatches the right one based on your address.
What ISO rating does Tuskegee have?
The City of Tuskegee lists its ISO Public Protection Classification as Class 5/5.
How fast does the fire department respond in Macon County?
About 6–8 minutes for the first unit in Tuskegee and about 12–18 minutes in rural areas, depending on distance from the nearest volunteer station.
Do I need a burn permit in Macon County?
Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679. Inside Tuskegee, ask the Tuskegee Fire Department at (334) 720-0510.
Last verified:
- City of Tuskegee — Fire Department (staffing, station, fleet, ISO)
- City of Tuskegee — Contacts Directory (phone, address)
- Alabama 911 Board — Emergency Communications Districts (Macon County ECD)
- Town of Franklin — Police & Fire (dispatch through the Sheriff's Office)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- NWS Birmingham — Macon County F1 tornado, July 6, 2005
- Wikipedia — Macon County, Alabama (population, area, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Tuskegee, Alabama (population, land area)