Cottonwood Fire Department
The
Cottonwood Fire Department serves a primary response area of 45 square miles
with a population of 4,500. The daytime population dramatically increases
with the local high school bringing an additional 800 students to Cottonwood
increasing the population to more than 5,000. The area is a mix of suburban
bedroom community with light commercial structures and extensive woodlands
and agricultural use. State Highway 53 bisects the territory with truck and
passenger car traffic.
The Cottonwood Fire Department has 20 active members who are all volunteers
except for the paid fire chief. These personnel are dispatched by the Houston
County 9-1-1 Center using computer aided dispatch via tone encoded radio and
automatic CAD initiated alphanumeric pagers carried by all members. All
members are issued portable multi-channel radios. Each apparatus is equipped
with a 4 channel UHF radio. The department also has capabilities of direct
communications with Jackson County Florida Fire & Rescue, AirHeart Air
Ambulance, and the local Alabama State Trooper base.
This is a busy rural fire department with near 100 calls for service
annually. The Cottonwood Fire Department operates three pumpers, one brush
truck, one tanker and one special operations vehicle. The Cottonwood Fire
Department provides structural fire suppression, woodland fire suppression,
and response to motor vehicle crashes with basic life support and defensive
hazardous materials operations. The Cottonwood Fire Department provides
routine automatic mutual aid to the Madrid Fire Department, Lucy Fire
Department, Lovetown Fire Department, Hodgesville Fire Department, and the
nearby departments of Jackson County Florida.
For More Information Contact:
Chief: Billy J. Mims
Cottonwood Fire Department
1386 Metcalf St.
P.O. Box 447
Cottonwood , Al. 36320