Fire Department

MUSCLE SHOALS FIRE RESCUE

Welcome to the official site of Muscle Shoals Fire Rescue! 

The Muscle Shoals Fire Department is a career department located in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  Muscle Shoals is one of four cities clustered in Northwest Alabama in an area known as the Shoals.  Muscle Shoals Fire Rescue responds to emergency calls from three stations located strategically throughout the city.  The Muscle Shoals Fire Department serves an area of twelve square miles with a city population of 11,924.  The department averages over 1,000 emergency calls annually and provides mutual aid to area paid and volunteer departments.

The department provides fire suppression, rescue and extrication, hazardous materials mitigation, non-transport emergency medical care and water rescue and recovery.  The Muscle Shoals Fire Department is staffed by 30 state certified career firefighter-emergency medical technicians and officers.  Personnel are divided into three shifts that maintain 24 hour, 7 day a week vigilance over the city. 

Station one is located at 1002 E. Avalon Avenue.  Adjacent to station one is the administration building housing the office of the fire chief, the fire prevention bureau, training library and classrooms.  Station two is located at the Northwest Alabama Regional Airport on T. Ed Campbell Drive and station three is located at 401 Ford Road.

Melvin Paul McDougle, Fire Chief

Chief McDougle began his career with the Muscle Shoals Fire Department on April 15, 1972, working as a firefighter for three years.  In 1975 he was promoted to driver, a position he held for the next nine years.  Chief McDougle was promoted to lieutenant in 1984 and captain in 1995.  He became chief of the department on September 16, 2002.
Chief McDougle holds Alabama certifications in Hazardous Materials Technician, the Insurance Services Office (ISO) grading process, Fire Officer 1 & 2, Apparatus Operator, Fire Fighter 1 & 2, Fire Instructor 1, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing and Team Development, Aircraft Firefighting, Incident Command Systems, National Safety Council Defensive Driving, EMT Basic, Natural Gas Firefighting and Bomb Managment.  Cheif McDougle has also completed Fire Science coursework at Northwest Shoals Community College.  He is a member of the Alabama Firefighters Association, the Alabama Fire Chiefs Association and the LEPC. He currently serves as second vice president of the Alabama Fire Chiefs Association, and is president of the North Alabama Fire Chiefs Association.  Chief McDougle and his wife JoAnn have three daughters and four grandchildren.

Tim McMullins, Assistant Fire Chief

Assistant Chief McMullins has worked with Muscle Shoals Fire Department for more than 21 years. He began his career on May 31, 1986, working as a firefighter for 9 years. In 1995 he was promoted to the position of driver serving in this capacity for 3 years. In 1998 he advanced to Lieutenant, and in 2002 became a captain. He became Assistant Chief in February 2006. Chief McMullins holds Alabama firefighter certification 1&2; Hazardous Materials Technician; Confined Space Certification; C.A.M.E.O., Fire Instructor 1&2; Apparatus Driver/Operator; Apparatus Operator Aerial; Fire Officer 1&2; Fire Inspector; Airport Rescue/Firefighter; as well as all NIMS Classes and Incident Management System. Leadership Classes 1&2; and Natural Gas Fighting. He has completed Fire Science courses at Northwest Shoals Community College. He is president of the Colbert County Hazardous Materials Team, a member of the Alabama Firefighters Association, and serves on the Alabama Fire College Advisory Committee.  Chief McMullins and his wife, Kay, have one daughter, Christy, and two granddaughters, Jacey and Brynn.