Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service

What Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service does

Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service is a municipal government department of the City of Birmingham, Alabama, founded in 1872. It is described as the largest Fire Department in the State of Alabama and is led by Fire Chief Cory D. Moon. The department operates from headquarters at 1808 Seventh Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203, and provides fire suppression, emergency medical response, rescue operations, fire prevention education, free smoke alarm distribution, public safety inspections, and community emergency response training to all residents of the City of Birmingham.

The department is organized into seven divisions: Fire Stations, Personnel, Public Service, EMS Education Institute, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Online Forms Center, and Special Event Application. Its core technology consists of municipal fire suppression and emergency medical response infrastructure, including a distributed network of fire stations, fire trucks, specialized rescue equipment, and community risk reduction programs. Adjacent service lines include the in-house EMS Education Institute for personnel training, firefighter/paramedic recruitment, and free smoke alarm programs. The department communicates with residents through the City of Birmingham's official website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, NextDoor) plus the BHAMREADY text alert system.

Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service is funded primarily through city tax revenues and does not charge citizens directly for emergency fire and rescue services. Its revenue model is therefore a tax-based public-safety appropriation within the City of Birmingham's broader FY2027 operating budget of $615 million. Strategic partnerships in early 2025 with Jimmie Hale Mission ($75,000) and Pathways ($20,000) extended the department's role into cold-weather shelter coordination for unhoused residents and those without adequate home heating. The department has approximately 188 employees and operates as a single-jurisdiction, non-commercial public service entity under the authority of the Mayor of Birmingham and the Birmingham City Council.

Name

Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service

Legal name

City of Birmingham, Alabama

Website

https://fire.birminghamal.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service is a municipal government department founded in 1872, serving as the largest Fire Department in Alabama. It provides fire suppression, emergency medical response, rescue, and community safety programs to City of Birmingham residents, funded through city tax revenues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Fire and Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160), Ambulance Services (62191), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) & Ambulance Services (BPAIAGAC), Evacuation, Shelter, Mass Care & Family Reunification (HLAJAGAG), Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical response
• Rescue operations
• Community risk reduction
• EMS education

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service is a municipal government department that provides 24/7 fire suppression, emergency medical response, and specialized rescue operations to residents of the City of Birmingham, Alabama. In addition to emergency response, the department delivers community risk reduction programs, free smoke alarm distribution, public safety education, EMS training through the EMS Education Institute, CERT preparedness training, and fire inspection services, all funded through city tax revenues at no direct cost to citizens.

Product overview

Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service is a municipal emergency services department offering a unified portfolio of fire suppression, emergency medical response, and rescue services for the City of Birmingham, Alabama. The department operates a network of fire stations across the city, supplemented by the EMS Education Institute for personnel training, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for community preparedness, public safety education programs including free smoke alarm distribution, and firefighter recruitment services. The service also provides fire inspection services and incident report submissions through its online forms center. As the largest Fire Department in Alabama, the department has served the city since 1872.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression and Emergency Response Core fire and rescue operations including fire suppression, emergency medical response, and rescue operations for the City of Birmingham, delivered 24/7 through 911 dispatch and fire station response.
• Fire Stations Network Network of fire stations throughout Birmingham providing rapid emergency response coverage across the city.
• EMS Education Institute Training and education programs for emergency medical services personnel and community members.
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Community emergency preparedness training program that educates citizens on disaster response skills including fire safety, search and rescue, and medical operations.
• Public Safety Education and Free Smoke Alarm Program Community outreach programs including free smoke alarm distribution and installation and safety education for Birmingham residents.
• Fire Inspection Services Fire safety inspections and permitting services for commercial and residential properties, requested through the Online Forms Center.
• Firefighter Recruitment Career recruitment program for firefighters and fire paramedics, providing employment opportunities in the fire service.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free smoke alarm programs available to all Birmingham citizens upon request

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jimmie Hale MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 January 2025The City of Birmingham partners with the Jimmie Hale Mission to operate a warming station providing overnight shelter for men, women, and families in the Greater Birmingham area who are unhoused or lack sufficient heat during extreme cold weather. The city supports this partnership with $75,000 in funding and in-kind donations of cots and a police officer presence. The warming station relocated to the mission's former thrift store at 1569 Cooper Hill Road, Birmingham 34210. Free shuttle service is provided from downtown locations.
• PathwaysminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 January 2025The City of Birmingham partners with Pathways to provide shelter for women and children only during warming station operations. Located at 409 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., women and children can access shelter from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. The city supports this warming station with $20,000 in Emergency Solutions Grant funding.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Montgomery Fire Department: Capital city of Alabama municipal fire department with comparable fire suppression, EMS, and community risk reduction responsibilities. Same state regulatory framework, similar municipal tax-funded revenue model, and overlapping service portfolio.
• Atlanta Fire Rescue Department: Major Southeastern municipal fire department serving a comparable urban population. Directly comparable in service scope (fire suppression, EMS, rescue, community risk reduction), municipal funding structure, and scale.
• Memphis Fire Department: Municipal fire department serving Memphis, a comparable Southern metro with similar urban risk profile and demographic challenges. Directly comparable in service mix, scale, and the fire-based EMS model used by BFRS.
• Nashville Fire Department: Tennessee municipal fire department serving a comparable mid-sized Southern metro. Comparable in scope of services (fire suppression, EMS, rescue, fire prevention), organizational structure, and tax-funded public-sector model.
• Mobile Fire-Rescue Department: Coastal Alabama municipal fire and rescue department serving the Mobile metro area. Comparable as a peer fire/EMS provider with municipal funding, hurricane and disaster response responsibilities (a key difference from Birmingham), and a similar multi-division operating structure.
• Huntsville Fire & Rescue: Another major Alabama municipal fire department serving Huntsville, the state's second-largest city. Directly comparable as a peer metro fire department in the same state regulatory environment, with similar municipal funding model and service mix of fire suppression and EMS.

Broad incumbents

• American Medical Response (AMR): National private-sector ambulance and EMS provider that competes with municipal fire-based EMS models like BFRS. Comparable as an EMS provider to the broader population, though operating on a fee-for-service commercial model rather than tax-funded municipal service.

Emerging players

• Alabama Fire College: State-level fire and EMS training institution that conducts training for fire departments across Alabama. Comparable to BFRS' EMS Education Institute as a fire/EMS training provider, but operating at a broader regional scope.

Regional players

• Jefferson County EMA: County-level emergency management agency that coordinates emergency preparedness across the Birmingham metro area, including mutual aid with BFRS. Comparable as a regional emergency response coordinator, though county-level rather than city-level.

Others

• Jimmie Hale Mission: Nonprofit partner that operates the warming station with City of Birmingham funding, addressing the same unhoused and cold-exposed populations that BFRS serves during extreme weather. Comparable as a service delivery partner in the BFRS emergency response ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cobmayorsoffice
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cityofbirmingham
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bfrs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service