Tennessee does not run one statewide fire department. Fire protection here is a local service, delivered by city departments, county agencies, and hundreds of volunteer companies that cover the gaps between them. Our directory lists 1,666 stations across the state, from full-time metropolitan departments in Memphis and Nashville to small volunteer halls on Cumberland Plateau back roads. This page explains who oversees fire service, how coverage changes from West to East Tennessee, and what to do when you need a station for something other than an emergency.

Who Governs Fire Service in Tennessee

Day to day, a fire chief answers to a local body. That may be a city council, a county mayor and commission, or the board of a nonprofit volunteer company. The state sets rules around these departments rather than running stations itself. Five agencies matter most to residents:

Local governments decide everything else. They choose how many stations to run, whether crews are paid or volunteer, and how the service is funded. That is why neighboring counties can look so different. A Nashville resident is served by a full-time metropolitan department. Someone living in a hollow on the Cumberland foothills may rely on a volunteer crew a few miles away.

Tennessee is also split into three Grand Divisions: West, Middle, and East. Each has its own mix of flat farmland, rolling basin country, and mountain ridges. Terrain shapes where stations are built, how long a response takes, and what kind of equipment a department needs.

Metro Departments and Rural Volunteer Companies

Tennessee's largest cities run full-time career departments. The City of Memphis Division of Fire lists Station 1 at 211 Jackson Avenue in Shelby County, which has 88 listings in our database, more than any other county. In Nashville, the Nashville Fire Department operates under the Metropolitan Government, and Station 11 on Doctor DB Todd Junior Boulevard sits in Davidson County.

The Chattanooga Fire Department is listed at 910 Wisdom Street in Hamilton County. The same county includes Soddy-Daisy, where the City of Soddy-Daisy Fire Department is listed on Dayton Pike. Knox County has 45 listings, including Karns Volunteer Fire Department on Meadowrun Lane. Even around Knoxville, city and volunteer coverage sit side by side.

Middle Tennessee's fast-growing suburbs show up in Rutherford County, where Murfreesboro Fire Department Station 4 on Jones Boulevard is one of 40 county listings. Clarksville Fire Rescue Station 5 on Stephanie Drive serves Montgomery County, which borders the Fort Campbell military community.

Out in the countryside, the picture changes. Sparta has 18 listings for a small town, and Cherry Creek Volunteer Fire Department Station 1 on Montgomery Road is one of several community companies in White County. Monroe County, with 33 listings, includes Coker Creek Volunteer Fire Department in Tellico Plains and the Madisonville Fire Department. Volunteer halls like these are often staffed by neighbors who respond from home or work, so the building may be empty when you drive by.

How Rural Fire Protection Is Paid For

Funding is the biggest practical difference between regions. Cities pay for fire service through property taxes and general funds. Many counties support volunteer companies through a countywide fire tax, a per-household fee, or donations and fundraisers. Some rural areas have used annual subscription fees, where a household pays to be covered.

The risk of that model became clear in 2010. A home in rural Obion County burned after the owner had not paid the optional fee to the nearby South Fulton department. The case drew national attention and prompted debate across the state about how rural fire service should be funded.

Before you buy or rent outside a city, ask three questions:

Insurers use the ISO Public Protection Classification, a scale from 1 to 10 where lower numbers mean stronger protection. Distance to the nearest station and access to hydrants or other water supply both affect the score. A higher class can raise your premium. Your insurance agent can look up the class for any address.

Wildfire Season, Burn Permits and Mountain Terrain

East Tennessee's ridges and the Cumberland Plateau bring a risk that city departments rarely face. In November 2016, wildfires swept through Sevier County and Gatlinburg, killing 14 people and destroying many homes. Volunteer companies such as English Mountain Volunteer Fire Department Station 2 on Alpine Drive in Sevierville cover steep, forested roads where reaching a fire can take longer.

Open burning is regulated. The Tennessee Division of Forestry issues burn permits for brush and yard debris outside incorporated areas. Permits are generally required during the fall-to-spring fire hazard season, which runs roughly from October 15 to May 15. You can request one online or by phone. Some cities and counties add their own rules, so check locally before you light anything.

The state also keeps its own fire-watch resources. Our directory includes Forestry Fire Tower-Collinwood on 1st Avenue in Lawrenceburg, Lawrence County. Forestry staff and local city or volunteer crews can end up working the same incident, which is one reason mutual-aid agreements are common across the state.

Finding and Contacting the Right Tennessee Station

Call 911 for any fire, smoke, gas odor, rescue, or medical emergency. Tennessee's 911 centers are run locally and dispatch the closest available unit. Do not drive to a station expecting help, because many are unstaffed.

For anything else, use the station listings in this directory. Phone numbers appear where our records have them. Examples are 931-520-5252 for Cookeville Fire Department Station 1 at 45 East Broad Street in Putnam County, and 423-229-9445 for Kingsport Fire Department Station 4 on West Stone Drive in Sullivan County. A call may reach a dispatcher or duty officer. At volunteer companies it may reach voicemail, so leave your address and a callback number.

Typical non-emergency requests include:

Bring the street address and photo ID for records requests. For a business matter, bring the building name and how the space is used. Neighboring jurisdictions often share mutual aid, so if you are unsure which department covers your address, ask the county's 911 district or emergency management office. Counties such as Williamson County and Hawkins County, each with 27 listings in our records, show how many separate stations can overlap inside one county.

Fire departments across Tennessee 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 470 cities across Tennessee. They are spread across 96 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, which have multiple fire stations strategically located to maintain rapid response times for their dense populations.

Residents of Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee to find the nearest location.

Reading Fire Department Listings in Tennessee's Smaller Counties

Big-city stations are easy to find. The harder searches happen in smaller counties, where one address may serve an entire district. If you are looking in south-central Middle Tennessee or in West Tennessee, start with the Franklin County and Gibson County pages. Then compare nearby counties, because fire districts rarely follow county lines exactly.

Our records show how varied the local models are. Hardin County Fire Department / Emergency Management District 4 Station 1 at 255 Smoky Road in Savannah ties fire service to a county emergency management role. City of Jackson Fire Department Station 2 at 550 Westwood Avenue in Madison County and City of Dyersburg Fire Department Station 3 at 2060 Sylvan Road in Dyer County are municipal stations. Gainesboro City Fire Department at 402 East Hull Avenue in Jackson County and Bedford County Volunteer Fire at 104 Prince Street in Shelbyville show the smaller-town and volunteer side.

On the Cumberland Plateau, Crossville Fire Department Station 1 at 141 Henry Street in Cumberland County and Harrison Ferry Fire Department at 175 Tin House Road near McMinnville in Warren County cover towns separated by long rural stretches. In the Upper Cumberland, Cookeville is the hub for Putnam County. In the east, Bradley County Fire And Rescue Station 2 on Keith Valley Road Southeast in Cleveland, Johnson City Fire Department Station 1 on Watauga Road, and Camp Creek Volunteer Fire Department on Greystone Road near Greeneville show how the valleys are covered.

One caution: the city on a listing is often a mailing address, not the fire district boundary. Confirm coverage for your street address through the county 911 district or the department itself before you rely on a particular station.

Fire Department Questions Tennessee Residents Ask

No single agency runs Tennessee's fire departments. Each city, county, or volunteer board operates its own. The State Fire Marshal's Office, within the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, enforces fire and life-safety codes and investigates serious or suspicious fires. The Tennessee Commission on Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education sets training and certification standards. The Division of Forestry handles wildfire response and burn permits, and TEMA coordinates disaster response. For questions about station hours, response areas, or inspections, contact the local department first. If a city has no inspection program, the State Fire Marshal's Office may handle code questions.

Outside city limits, burning brush and yard debris generally requires a permit from the Tennessee Division of Forestry during the fire hazard season, usually October 15 through May 15. You can request one online or by phone. Permits cover natural vegetation such as limbs and brush, not trash, tires, or construction debris. Many cities and some counties have their own burn rules or bans, and local fire chiefs can suspend burning during dry or windy weather. Before lighting anything, call your local fire department or county government to confirm what applies at your address. You may be liable for damage if a fire spreads.

It depends on the county. Many Tennessee counties pay for rural volunteer companies through tax revenue, so no separate bill arrives. Others have used annual subscription or membership fees, and some still do. The 2010 Obion County house fire showed what can happen when an optional fee goes unpaid. Before you buy or rent, ask the county mayor's office or the department itself which company covers the address, whether any fee applies, and whether mutual-aid agreements exist. Also ask your insurer for the property's Public Protection Classification, since a weak rating can raise premiums even where service is free. Get the answers in writing when you can.

Fire incident reports are generally public records under the Tennessee Public Records Act, which gives Tennessee citizens the right to inspect and copy them. Contact the department that responded and ask for the records custodian. Many agencies want the request in writing and a photo ID. Provide the date, address, and incident number if you have one. The agency must respond within seven business days, either by providing the records, denying the request, or giving a time estimate. It may charge reasonable copy costs, and some personal or medical details can be redacted. The state's Office of Open Records Counsel offers guidance if you hit a dispute.

No. Use 911 for fires, rescues, gas leaks, and medical emergencies anywhere in Tennessee. The numbers in our listings, such as 901-527-1400 for City of Memphis Division of Fire Station 1 or 615-862-8585 for Nashville Fire Department Station 11, are meant for non-emergency questions. A station phone may ring in an empty building, especially at volunteer halls, and it will not dispatch a truck as quickly as 911. If you cannot speak, stay on the line so the dispatcher can try to locate you. Text-to-911 is available in some counties but not all, so call whenever you can.

Start by contacting the department that covers your neighborhood. Most want applicants to be at least 18 and to pass a background check, though rules vary. New volunteers usually train in-house, and the state offers courses through the Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy in Smyrna. Certification standards come from the Tennessee Commission on Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education. For paid jobs, larger departments in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga use formal application and testing, and often expect firefighter and EMT certification. Ask each department about physical-ability tests, hiring windows, and whether it runs a junior or cadet program for younger residents.