Chatham County

Fire Protection in Unincorporated Chatham County

Protecting what matters.

Payments Notice

Fire Fee payments can be made in person at the Chatham County Administrative Courthouse, located at 124 Bull Street, Savannah, GA, during business hours from 8 AM to 5 PM.

Please note that payments cannot be made online or over the phone at this time.

For more details about the fire fee, review our FAQ below.

Properties Protected

Contract Amount

The Basics

Beginning in 2020, Chatham County officials and Chatham Emergency Services representatives met to discuss how best to provide fire protection services in unincorporated Chatham County. These conversations became necessary due to non-payment of the annual fire subscription fee by property owners, resulting in funding challenges for the fire department.

To understand what level of services residents wanted from their fire department, Chatham County Commissioners held Town Hall meetings and launched a community survey. The responses told us that most citizens were satisfied with the level of services being provided and thought the costs were reasonable. However, the fire department's revenue matter remained since almost 1/3 of property owners were not paying the annual subscription fee.

The Board of Commissioners heard you. In December 2021, the Board approved a contract with Chatham Emergency Services to provide the necessary fire protection. In May of 2022, the Board unanimously passed the Fire Service Fee Ordinance, which was amended in June of 2023. What does this mean for you? If you live in unincorporated Chatham County and were previously billed by Chatham Emergency Services for a fire subscription fee, you will no longer receive a bill from them and instead be billed a Fire Service Fee by Chatham County to cover the cost of the $15.3 million contract.

Understanding What People Wanted

Chatham County Commissioners held Town Hall meetings and launched a community survey.

The Board of Commissioners Heard You

The Board approved a contract with Chatham Emergency Services to provide the necessary fire protection.

What is improved property. House, garage, shed, gazebo, deck, etc.
Fee example. House with 1388 sqft. livable space + 250 sqft. single car garage + 150 sqft. deck + 200 sqft. shed is 1988 x $.14 = 278.32

New Calculation Rate

There’s a new calculation rate for the fire fee starting July 1, 2023. The fire services protection fee is based on how big your property is and what can burn on your property. If you have items that can catch fire, you are charged 14 cents per square foot. If your total square footage is less than 714 square feet or you don't have anything that can burn, your bill will be $100. The square footage for each property will be obtained from the Chatham County Board of Assessors.

The math is simple. Here is an example of how the fee, which is 14 cents per square foot of burnable property, will be calculated. If you have a 1388 square foot home with a single car garage, which is approximately 250 square feet, a deck that is 150 square feet, and a 10 x 20 storage area or shed that is 200 square feet, your total square foot for the structure is 1988. Based on your 1988 square foot structure(s), your total fire service fee would be $278.32

For more information, please check out the FAQ section. If you do not find the answer to your question, you can use the Contact Us Form.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not find the answer to your question, you can use the Contact Us Form.

News and Resources

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Fire Fee Lookup

Use the link below to look up a fee by parcel (pin) or address


Fire Fee Lookup

Contact

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