County profile
Washington County, TN 9 departments
Fire department coverage, staffing, and EMS data for Washington County, part of Tennessee.
Department Types
Fire Departments in Washington County
| Department | Type | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| City of Johnson City Fire Department Johnson City · EMS | other | - |
| City of Johnson City Fire Department Johnson City · EMS | career | 113 |
| Embreeville Volunteer Fire Department Erwin | volunteer | 20 |
| Fall Branch Volunteer Fire Department Fall Branch · EMS | volunteer | 35 |
| Gray Volunteer Fire Department Gray · EMS | volunteer | 24 |
| Jonesborough Fire Department Jonesborough | volunteer | 19 |
| Limestone Volunteer Fire Department Limestone · EMS | volunteer | 60 |
| Nolichuckey Valley Volunteer Fire Department Chuckey · EMS | volunteer | 31 |
| Sulphur Springs Volunteer Fire Department Jonesborough · EMS | volunteer | 59 |
What the Fire Coverage Data Means for Washington County, TN
Washington County reports 9 fire departments in the federal HIFLD registry, staffed by approximately 361 total personnel. The organizational breakdown matters because career, volunteer, and combination departments differ sharply in response time, funding, and training cadence: this county lists 1 career (paid), 7 volunteer, and 0 combination departments. 7 of these departments also provides Emergency Medical Services, meaning the same crews that arrive on a structure fire can often begin patient care on cardiac or trauma calls without waiting for a separate ambulance agency.
Benchmarking the county against its parent state highlights coverage gaps and strengths. Tennessee overall averages roughly 24 personnel per department across 921 departments. Washington County averages 40 personnel per department, 67% above the state mean. Heavier staffing usually signals higher population density, more commercial risk, or county-wide mutual aid consolidation. The state reports about 47,400 fires and 115 fire deaths annually, and 52% of its departments are volunteer-run.
Residents, property owners, and insurance agents can use this profile in several practical ways. A home inside a career or combination department's first-due area typically earns better ISO Public Protection Classification ratings and lower homeowners premiums than one served solely by a distant volunteer station. If the county is heavily volunteer, it is worth checking whether the nearest department has recent FEMA AFG or SAFER grants and whether mutual-aid agreements extend coverage during large incidents. Click into any department below to see its specific personnel count, station footprint, apparatus inventory, EMS status, and FEMA grant history. All figures come from HIFLD Open Data (FEMA/DHS) and USFA published fire statistics; small volunteer departments are sometimes underreported, so treat zero-value fields as missing data rather than absent services.
FAQ
How many fire departments are in Washington County, TN? ▼
Washington County, TN has 9 fire departments with available federal data. 1 career, 7 volunteer,
Does Washington County have EMS coverage? ▼
Yes - 7 departments in Washington County provide EMS services.
How many firefighters serve Washington County? ▼
Washington County has 361 total fire department personnel across 9 departments. The average per department is 40, which is 67% above the Tennessee average.
Are Washington County fire departments mostly volunteer? ▼
Yes, 7 of 9 departments (78%) in Washington County are volunteer.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Top fire departments in Washington, TN
Source: U.S. Fire Administration, National Fire Department Registry NFDR (National Fire Department Registry) · 2024 NFDR is a voluntary registry; not all departments may be included. Personnel counts include both career and volunteer staff.
