Marion County, Alabama (pop. 29,341) in the state's northwest corner is protected by a combination system: the Hamilton and Winfield fire departments mix career firefighters with volunteers, while 10 volunteer fire departments, including Hackleburg, Guin, Brilliant and Bear Creek, cover the rest of the county's 742 square miles of land. Marion County E-911 in Hamilton dispatches 13 fire departments around the clock.
Marion County E-911 (business line)
(205) 921-0911- Hamilton Fire Department (business): (205) 921-2877
- Winfield Fire Department (business): (205) 487-4223
- Marion County E-911 administration: (205) 921-2291
- Marion County E-911, 650 3rd Ave SW, Hamilton, AL 35570, USA
- marion911.org
- E-911 dispatch: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Who Provides Fire Protection in Marion County
- Hamilton Fire Department — combination department of the county seat, with a chief, an assistant chief, 9 career firefighters and 20 part-time and volunteer firefighters; NERIS lists 2 stations.
- Winfield Fire Department — an "all-hazards" combination department with 8 career firefighters (all certified fire instructors) and 25 volunteers, rated ISO Class 5. It also runs dive, rope rescue and hazmat teams.
- 10 volunteer fire departments (listed below); member numbers are not published.
Marion County E-911 is the only 911 answering point in the county. It dispatches 13 fire departments and 7 law enforcement agencies and coordinates with 2 ambulance services and 4 air-ambulance services; Marion County EMS (NorthStar EMS) provides ground ambulance service. Parts of Haleyville, Winfield, Glen Allen and Gu-Win extend into neighboring counties. 911 sends the right department based on your address.
Fire Departments in Marion County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Fire Department | Combination (2 stations) | 561 6th St SW, Hamilton, AL 35570 | (205) 921-2877 |
| Winfield Fire Department | Combination (2 stations) | 125 Apple Ave, Winfield, AL 35594 | (205) 487-4223 |
| Bear Creek VFD | Volunteer | 315 Main St, Bear Creek, AL 35543 | (205) 485-7800 |
| Brilliant VFD | Volunteer | 1000 Main St, Brilliant, AL 35548 | (205) 465-2281 |
| Byrd VFD | Volunteer | 235 County Hwy 13, Detroit, AL 35552 | (205) 921-1180 |
| Craft VFD | Volunteer | 7109 County Hwy 19, Haleyville, AL 35565 | (205) 269-5263 |
| Guin VFD | Volunteer | 7500 US Hwy 43, Guin, AL 35563 | Not published |
| Hackleburg VFD | Volunteer | 415 Walker St, Hackleburg, AL 35564 | (205) 935-3933 |
| Pea Ridge VFD | Volunteer | 5710 County Hwy 45, Guin, AL 35563 | Not published |
| Shiloh VFD | Volunteer | 3515 State Hwy 187, Hamilton, AL 35570 | Not published |
| Shottsville VFD | Volunteer | 400 County Hwy 56, Hamilton, AL 35570 | Not published |
| Twin VFD | Volunteer | 275 County Hwy 83, Guin, AL 35563 | Not published |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Estimated Response Time
In Hamilton, two stations share about 38.1 square miles of land, an average radius of roughly 2.5 miles; in Winfield (17.8 square miles, partly in Fayette County), two stations give roughly 1.7 miles. Both rely partly on volunteers. The rest of the county (about 686 square miles; the county averages about 40 residents per square mile) has 10 volunteer stations, roughly 4.7 miles each, and volunteers must first reach the station.
| Radius | Hamilton & Winfield (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 7–10 minutes for most addresses in Hamilton and Winfield 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 the cities. Woodland fires are fought with the Alabama Forestry Commission. On April 27, 2011, an EF5 tornado destroyed about 75 percent of Hackleburg and killed 18 of its residents.
Apparatus & Equipment
Winfield Fire Department fleet:
- Pumpers (engines)
- 4
- Ladder truck
- 1
- Brush truck (Class A & B foam)
- 1
- Service truck
- 1
- Special trailers (dive, rope rescue, hazmat, decon, mass casualty, severe weather)
- 6
Hamilton and volunteer fleets are not published.
- Fire suppression
- Hazmat
- Dive rescue
- Rope rescue
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
Winfield Fire Department: ISO PPC Class 5, as stated by the City of Winfield. Ratings for Hamilton and 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 Hamilton or Winfield, check city rules with the fire department.
Neighboring Counties
- Franklin County, AL (north)
- Winston County, AL (east)
- Walker County, AL (southeast)
- Fayette County, AL (south)
- Lamar County, AL (southwest)
- Monroe County, MS (southwest)
- Itawamba County, MS (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Marion County?
Marion County E-911 business line: (205) 921-0911. Hamilton Fire Department: (205) 921-2877. Winfield Fire Department: (205) 487-4223. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Hamilton and Winfield?
Ten volunteer departments, from Bear Creek and Hackleburg to Guin, Brilliant and Shiloh, cover the rural county. 911 dispatches the right one based on your address.
Does Hamilton have a full-time fire department?
Hamilton runs a combination department: a chief, an assistant chief and 9 career firefighters work alongside 20 part-time and volunteer firefighters.
How fast does the fire department respond in Marion County?
About 7–10 minutes for the first unit in Hamilton and Winfield and about 12–18 minutes in rural areas, depending on distance from the nearest volunteer station.
Do I need a burn permit in Marion County?
Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679. Inside Hamilton or Winfield, check city rules with the fire department.
Last verified:
- Marion County E-911 (PSAP, 13 fire departments dispatched, addressing)
- Marion County E-911 — Contact (phones, address)
- Alabama 911 Board — Emergency Communication Districts (Marion County ECD)
- City of Winfield — Fire Department (staffing, fleet, ISO, phone)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce — City Services (Hamilton FD staffing, phone, address)
- NERIS registry — Hamilton Fire Department (combination, 2 stations)
- NERIS registry — Winfield Fire & Rescue (2 stations)
- RadioReference — Marion County (AL) (Marion County EMS / NorthStar EMS)
- Wikipedia — Marion County, Alabama (population, area, neighbors, split cities)
- Wikipedia — Hamilton, Alabama (land area)
- Wikipedia — Winfield, Alabama (land area)
- Wikipedia — Hackleburg, Alabama (2011 tornado)