Indiana has no single statewide fire service. Instead, fire protection is a patchwork of city departments, township departments, fire protection districts, fire territories and volunteer companies, each tied to a specific boundary on the map. This page covers the stations in our Indiana database, from the career department in Indianapolis to small volunteer stations on county roads. It explains how the pieces fit together, so you can work out which department covers your address and how to reach it for anything other than an emergency. For a fire or medical emergency, always call 911.

Fire Departments in Indiana: Who Runs Them and Who Pays

Fire protection in Indiana is a local responsibility. Indiana Code Title 36, Article 8 lets cities, towns, townships and special districts create and fund fire service. The state sets standards but does not run stations. Your coverage therefore depends on exactly where your property sits, not on the town named in your mailing address.

Most departments fall into one of five types:

Money mostly comes from local property taxes. Many departments add contract fees, grants and fundraisers. This matters to you because the department that responds is the one whose tax district includes your parcel. Check your property tax bill, which usually names the township or fire district that levies a fire tax on you.

Metro Departments: Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville and the Lake Michigan Corridor

The largest concentration of stations is in Marion County, where Indianapolis operates under a consolidated city-county structure. Boundaries are still not always obvious. The Carmel Fire Department Station 45 listing, at 10701 North College Avenue, carries an Indianapolis mailing address but belongs to Hamilton County. Postal city names and fire jurisdictions often differ, so confirm the county before you call.

In the northeast, the Fort Wayne Fire Department (307 Murray Street, 260-427-1478) anchors Allen County. Evansville sits on the Ohio River and is served by city units and by township departments such as Knight Township Company 6 at 2646 North Burkhardt Road (812-476-4531). In the northwest, Lake County departments, including Gary Fire Department Station 1 at 200 East 5th Avenue (219-881-4779), work around steel mills, rail yards and heavy lake-effect snow.

Further east, Elkhart County has the Elkhart Fire Department Central Station at 500 East Street (574-293-8931). Elkhart Township Fire Department Station 2 is at 201 South 22nd Street in Goshen (574-533-2320). Manufacturing and recreational-vehicle plants make commercial inspections a regular part of local fire work. In St. Joseph County, Clay Fire Territory Station 1 at 18776 Cleveland Road (574-272-3012) shows how a township and town can share one service.

Mid-sized cities follow similar patterns on a smaller scale. Lafayette Fire Department Station 1 is at 443 North 4th Street (765-807-1608), and City of Bloomington Fire Department Station 4 is at 2201 East 3rd Street (812-332-9763). Anderson Fire Department Station 1, the headquarters at 44 West 5th Street (765-648-6600), and La Porte Fire Department at 809 West 18th Street (219-362-3456) round out the northern and central cities. Terre Haute, with 23 listings, is the busiest hub in the west of the state.

Rural and Volunteer Coverage Outside the Big Cities

Away from the metros, many Indiana communities rely on township and volunteer departments. Mill Township Volunteer Fire Department (2113 East Old Kokomo Road, Marion, 765-674-2500) serves Grant County. Burney-Clay Township Volunteer Fire Department (8433 West Co Road 100 South, Greensburg, 812-663-8198) covers part of Decatur County. Highland Township Fire Department in Bloomfield serves Greene County (812-384-3160).

In the south, Indian Creek Volunteer Fire in Lawrence County (5357 Highway 158, Bedford, 812-854-4949) and Brooksburg Fire Department in Jefferson County (302 South Brooksburg Main Street, Madison, 812-265-2648) show how small stations work in limestone country and along the Ohio River.

Three things differ from the city experience. First, many stations are not staffed all day. A volunteer station may be empty until a page goes out, so walking up to the door rarely works. Call the listed number, leave a message or ask for the chief. Volunteer officers often return calls after their day jobs.

Second, water supply can be limited. Where there are no hydrants, tanker trucks shuttle water from ponds, wells and neighboring towns. This is one reason the Insurance Services Office public protection class, scored from 1 (best) to 10, affects homeowner insurance. Rural owners should ask their insurer what rating applies to their address.

Third, the hazards are different. Grain bins and farm equipment, spring tornado damage, and flooding along the Ohio and Wabash rivers all shape training and equipment in rural departments. Counties also keep emergency management agencies that plan for these events. The Cass County Emergency Management Agency in Logansport (1227 Route 17, 574-722-2484) is one listed example.

State Oversight: IDHS, the State Fire Marshal and Local Enforcement

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) is the state agency most closely tied to the fire service. The Office of the State Fire Marshal operates within IDHS. Its staff investigate serious fires, review plans for certain buildings and support firefighter training. The Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission adopts the Indiana Fire Code. Local fire prevention bureaus apply it when they inspect businesses, schools, apartment buildings and public assembly spaces.

Several other rules affect residents directly. Open burning is governed by Indiana Department of Environmental Management rules that limit what may be burned, and cities, towns and counties can add stricter ordinances or temporary burn bans. Indiana law requires working smoke alarms in rental housing, and landlords carry responsibility for installing them. Requests for incident reports fall under the Access to Public Records Act, Indiana Code 5-14-3. Many career firefighters belong to the 1977 Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension and Disability Fund, which INPRS administers, a detail that matters to anyone considering a career job.

Emergency calls themselves are answered by local or county dispatch centers connected to 911. The Indiana Statewide 911 Board helps coordinate funding and standards. Dispatchers send the department whose district covers the caller's address. That is why giving an exact street address matters more than naming a town.

Finding and Contacting the Right Station in Indiana

Start with your address, not your town. Check your property tax bill or your county auditor's website to see which township or fire district taxes you. Then browse our county pages. Counties with many listings include Marion County with 87, Lake County with 68, St. Joseph County with 50, Allen County with 44 and Elkhart County with 33. Vigo, LaPorte, Porter, Tippecanoe and Hendricks counties each have roughly 28 to 32.

For records, inspections or station questions, call during weekday business hours, when the chief or fire prevention officer is most likely in the office. Have the street address, the date of any incident, your name and a photo ID ready. For a business inspection question, add the business name and how the building is used. If you reach a recording at a volunteer station, leave a callback number and a short reason for your call.

Phone numbers, addresses and hours change, so confirm them with the department before you drive anywhere. If a listing looks outdated, the county emergency management agency can usually tell you who currently covers an area.

Fire departments across Indiana range from large career departments in major cities to volunteer departments serving small rural communities, all operating under state fire codes and local ordinances to protect residents from fire and emergency hazards.

Fire Departments locations are available in 581 cities across Indiana. They are spread across 92 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, which have multiple fire stations strategically located to maintain rapid response times for their dense populations.

Residents of Indiana should know your local fire department's non-emergency phone number so you can request burn permits, safety inspections, and community programs without tying up the 911 emergency line.

Fire Departments by Counties

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Residents of Indiana planning any outdoor burning should contact their local fire department for open burning regulations and permit requirements, which can vary significantly by county and season due to drought conditions and fire danger ratings.

Browse Fire Departments by county across Indiana to find the nearest location.

Reading the Indiana Fire Map: Townships, Territories and County Lines

Every one of Indiana's 92 counties contains several overlapping fire jurisdictions, and a single street can sit in a different district from the one next to it. The Bargersville Community Fire Department Station 2 listing at 5886 West Smokey Row Road (317-422-5187) has a Greenwood address but serves part of Johnson County. Carmel Fire Department Station 45 sits in Hamilton County despite its Indianapolis mailing address. A And A Township Volunteer Fire Department Station 1 on Indiana 42 near Martinsville (765-528-2437) serves Morgan County. Harrison Township Fire Department on South Dixon Road in Kokomo (765-453-3755) serves Howard County.

Neighboring departments also back each other up through mutual aid agreements. The first truck at your door may come from the next township, especially at night or during a large fire. You can help any crew find you quickly by keeping your house number large and visible, clearing your driveway for heavy vehicles, and giving dispatchers a cross street when you call.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fire Departments in Indiana

Start with your property tax bill, which usually lists the township or fire protection district that levies a fire tax on your parcel. Your county auditor or county GIS map can confirm the boundary. Do not rely on your mailing city. The Bargersville Community Fire Department Station 2 listing carries a Greenwood address yet sits in Johnson County, and Carmel Station 45 shows an Indianapolis address while belonging to Hamilton County. If the maps still leave doubt, call the non-emergency number of the nearest station or your county emergency management agency. Ask which department is dispatched to your street.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is the main state agency, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal operates within it. Its staff investigate major fires, review construction plans for certain buildings and support fire service training. The Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission adopts the Indiana Fire Code that local inspectors enforce. The state does not staff local stations, though. Your city, township, fire protection district or fire territory recruits firefighters, sets response policies and answers to its own board or council. For a complaint about a local response, start with the department chief, then the township trustee or the city's board of public works and safety.

The answer depends on where you live. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management sets rules that prohibit burning many materials, including household trash, and several cities and towns ban or tightly limit yard waste burning. Counties and fire departments can also announce temporary burn bans during dry weather. Because the local rule is what actually applies to you, call your department's non-emergency number before lighting anything. Ask whether a notice or permit is required, what hours are allowed and how far a fire must sit from buildings. Never burn on windy days, and keep water and a shovel within reach.

Contact the department that responded, since each one keeps its own records. Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, Indiana Code 5-14-3, gives the public a right to request many public records, and departments may charge reasonable copying costs. Put the request in writing if you can. Include the date, time, street address and your connection to the incident, and bring photo ID if you pick it up in person. Some details, such as medical information or material tied to an open investigation, may be withheld or redacted. If you need the report for an insurance claim, say so when you ask.

Usually both. Many volunteer companies, such as Mill Township Volunteer Fire Department in Grant County or Morgan Township Volunteer Fire Department in Porter County, are supported by township fire taxes or contracts with the township. They then add money from fundraisers, grants and donations. Because of that tax base, a fire response in your district is generally paid for through property taxes rather than billed as a separate charge. Ambulance transport is different, since emergency medical service is often run by a separate agency that may bill you or your insurer. Ask your department and your local EMS provider about charges for out-of-district calls, vehicle crashes and transport.

The route depends on the department. Volunteer and combination departments usually recruit directly, so call a nearby station and ask about the next meeting. Expect an application, a background check and a training commitment. Career jobs in cities such as Evansville, South Bend and Lafayette are generally filled through a civil service or merit process run by the city, with written tests, physical ability testing and interviews. Most applicants must be at least 18 and hold a high school diploma or equivalent. Ask each department which state and national firefighter certifications it requires and where it sends recruits to train. Career firefighters in many cities are enrolled in the 1977 state pension fund.