Marengo County, Alabama (pop. 19,323) is protected by a combination system: Demopolis Fire Rescue, a career department rated ISO Class 3, covers the county's largest city from two stations, while 12 volunteer fire departments, including Linden, Sweet Water, Thomaston and Faunsdale, cover the rest of its 977 square miles of land. Marengo County E-911 in Linden answers all 911 calls.
Marengo County E-911 Communications District (main line)
(334) 295-5573- Demopolis Fire Rescue (non-emergency): (334) 289-1212
- Marengo County Fire & Rescue (Linden): (334) 216-3934
- Demopolis Fire Rescue, 306 US Hwy 80 W, Demopolis, AL 36732, USA
- dfd.demopolisal.gov
- Demopolis station visits: 8:00–17:00 (CT), groups call ahead
Who Provides Fire Protection in Marengo County
- Demopolis Fire Rescue — career, staffed by 30 firefighters, officers and administrative personnel, with two stations and three front-line trucks. It answers about 1,200 medical and 400 fire-related calls a year and holds an ISO Class 3 rating. Services include structural firefighting, hazmat, river rescue, confined-space and collapse rescue, vehicle accidents and EMS.
- 12 volunteer fire departments (listed below), including Linden, Marengo County Fire & Rescue and South Marengo County Fire & Rescue; member numbers are not published.
Landline 911 calls are routed to the Marengo County E-911 center at 507 N Main St in Linden, the county's single 911 answering point. 911 sends the right department based on your address.
Fire Departments in Marengo County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demopolis Fire Rescue | Career (2 stations) | 306 US Hwy 80 W, Demopolis, AL 36732 | (334) 289-1212 |
| Dixons Mills VFD | Volunteer | 3846 County Rd 6, Dixons Mills, AL 36736 | Not published |
| Faunsdale VFD | Volunteer | 35475 Hwy 25, Faunsdale, AL 36738 | (334) 341-0708 |
| Jefferson VFD | Volunteer | 26100 AL Hwy 28, Demopolis, AL 36732 | (334) 216-7490 |
| Linden VFD | Volunteer | 212 E Coats Ave, Linden, AL 36748 | (334) 422-3004 |
| Marengo County Fire & Rescue | Volunteer | 409 West St, Linden, AL 36748 | (334) 216-3934 |
| Myrtlewood VFD | Volunteer | 200 N Magnolia St, Myrtlewood, AL 36763 | (334) 295-5516 |
| Old Spring Hill VFD | Volunteer | 945 County Rd 1, Gallion, AL 36742 | (334) 216-3458 |
| Putnam VFD | Volunteer | 3090 Hwy 69, Thomasville, AL 36784 | (334) 736-4911 |
| South Marengo County Fire & Rescue | Volunteer | 34818 Hwy 10, Sweet Water, AL 36782 | (334) 994-4130 |
| Surginer VFD | Volunteer | 6279 County Rd 55, Magnolia, AL 36754 | (334) 357-2878 |
| Sweet Water VFD | Volunteer | 351 Main St, Sweet Water, AL 36782 | (334) 994-9911 |
| Thomaston VFD | Volunteer | 154 Main St, Thomaston, AL 36783 | (334) 627-3434 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Estimated Response Time
In Demopolis, two staffed stations share about 17.7 square miles of land, an average radius of roughly 1.7 miles. The rest of the county (about 959 square miles, 13 residents per square mile) has 12 volunteer stations, roughly 5.0 miles each, and volunteers must first reach the station.
| Radius | Demopolis (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 4–8 minutes for most addresses in Demopolis 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 Demopolis. Woodland fires are fought with the Alabama Forestry Commission. The Tombigbee River forms the county's entire western border and meets the Black Warrior River at Demopolis, which is why Demopolis Fire Rescue keeps a river rescue capability. The county courthouse burned twice, in 1848 and 1965.
Apparatus & Equipment
Demopolis Fire Rescue front-line fleet:
- Engine 1 (Station 1), 2018 E-One rescue pumper
- 1
- Engine 2 (Station 2), 2018 KME
- 1
- Pierce 75-ft ladder (1996)
- 1
Volunteer fleets are not published.
- Fire suppression
- Hazmat
- River rescue
- EMS
- Wildland
Services & Community Programs
- Fire prevention in Demopolis: inspections, building plan review, fire code enforcement, pre-incident planning and fire cause determination.
- Training for the public: children's fire safety program, fire extinguisher training for businesses, CPR and Basic EMT training; call (334) 289-1212.
- Station visits: welcome 8:00–17:00; groups should call a few days ahead.
Ratings & Accreditation
Demopolis: ISO PPC Class 3. Ratings for the rural volunteer districts are not published.
Outdoor burning: Inside Demopolis, call Demopolis Fire Rescue at (334) 289-1212 with the burn location; after a site check it issues a yard-debris permit valid for seven days. 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
- Greene County, AL (north-northwest)
- Hale County, AL (north)
- Perry County, AL (northeast)
- Dallas County, AL (east)
- Wilcox County, AL (southeast)
- Clarke County, AL (south)
- Choctaw County, AL (southwest)
- Sumter County, AL (northwest)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Marengo County?
Marengo County E-911: (334) 295-5573. Demopolis Fire Rescue non-emergency: (334) 289-1212. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Demopolis?
Twelve volunteer departments, from Linden and Faunsdale to Sweet Water and Thomaston, cover the rural county. 911 dispatches the right one based on your address.
What ISO rating does Demopolis have?
The City of Demopolis holds ISO Public Protection Classification Class 3.
How fast does the fire department respond in Marengo County?
About 4–8 minutes for the first unit in Demopolis and about 12–18 minutes in rural areas, depending on distance from the nearest volunteer station.
Do I need a burn permit in Marengo County?
Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679. Inside Demopolis, call Demopolis Fire Rescue at (334) 289-1212 for a seven-day permit.
Last verified:
- Demopolis Fire Rescue (address, phone, staffing, stations, fleet, call volume)
- Demopolis Fire Rescue — FAQs (ISO, services, burn permits, 911 center)
- Demopolis Fire Rescue — Blog (stations, apparatus, training site)
- Alabama 911 Board — Emergency Communication Districts (Marengo County ECD phone, PSAP)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (departments, addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- Wikipedia — Marengo County, Alabama (population, area, neighbors, rivers, courthouse fires)
- Wikipedia — Demopolis, Alabama (population, land area)