Smith Lake Hospitals and Emergency Resources

If this is an emergency, call 911 now. Call 911 for any immediate medical, fire, police or water emergency, on land or on the lake. Do not post to this website, send a message, or ask Pontoon Pete first. Smith Lake NOW is a community information site. It is not an emergency service, it is not monitored around the clock, and it cannot send help. Use it before or after an emergency, never during one.

This guide collects official contact details and public information for hospitals, emergency departments, county agencies and safety resources around Smith Lake. Every phone number, address and hours statement below was read on an official website on 2026-10-25 and is linked to its source. Where official pages disagreed with each other, or we could not confirm something, we say so instead of guessing. We do not rank hospitals, we do not say which one is "best", and we do not give driving times, because they depend on where you are, the road, the weather and the time of day.

How to tell 911 where you are on a lake

On land, a street address is enough. On a lake it is not, so be ready to say several things:

• The 911 address of the house or dock, if you are at a property. Addresses are assigned by the local county or town, so the one on your mailbox, your deed or your utility bill is the one to use. The Alabama 911 Board explains that addressing is done at the local level.
• A landmark. Walker County's 911 district asks wireless callers to give "a notable landmark, cross street intersection, and exact description of emergency." On the water, that can be the name of the cove or creek arm, a nearby marina, boat ramp or bridge, or a posted sign or marker number you can read.
• What happened and how many people are hurt, in plain words.
• Stay on the line and answer the dispatcher's questions. They will tell you what to do next.

Phone location is not always accurate (the Alabama 911 Board says location accuracy is sometimes limited), so describe where you are even if the dispatcher seems to know. We do not recommend any app or third-party location code for this purpose, because we have not verified that county dispatchers use them.

Texting 911

The Alabama 911 Board says text-to-911 is available statewide. Its own advice is that it is always better to call if you are able. If you cannot speak, put your exact location at the start of the message, keep it short, avoid slang, and keep answering the dispatcher. The Board warns that location accuracy is sometimes limited, and that if you receive a bounce-back message, texting is unavailable and you must place a voice call instead. We did not find a separate text-to-911 statement published by Cullman, Winston, Walker or Morgan County.

Hospital emergency rooms, freestanding ERs and urgent care

This is general public information, not medical advice.

• A hospital emergency department is part of a hospital that also has inpatient beds and other services.
• A freestanding emergency department is an emergency room that is not attached to a hospital building. Hartselle Health Park ER, below, is an example. It is an emergency department, not an urgent care clinic.
• Urgent care clinics treat non-emergency illnesses and injuries. They usually have set opening hours and are not a substitute for an emergency room. Cullman Regional's urgent care page says it treats non-emergency conditions and directs life- or limb-threatening problems to 911 or the nearest emergency room.
• Not every hospital has a public emergency room. One near the lake region, Lawrence Medical Center in Moulton, is described below.

If you are unsure whether something is an emergency, call 911 and let the dispatcher decide. The dispatcher can tell you what to do next and which responders to send.

Hospitals and emergency departments near the lake

Smith Lake reaches into Cullman, Winston and Walker counties. The list below is grouped by area and has no ranking. For each facility we say only what its own website states. "Not confirmed" means we could not read an official statement, not that the answer is no.

*Cullman area*

• Cullman Regional Medical Center, 1912 Alabama Highway 157, Cullman, AL 35058. The hospital's website header lists (256) 737-2000, followed by "or 911 for emergencies." Its Emergency Department page says it is open 24/7. The hospital's pages also list a second telephone, 256-737-2100, in a contact section. Website: cullmanregional.com.
• Cullman Regional Urgent Care Center (urgent care, not an emergency room), 1958 Alabama Highway 157, Cullman, AL 35058, 256-737-2090. Its page lists weekday hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekend hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but another official Cullman Regional page may list a later weekday close, so call before you go. It treats ages 6 months and older for non-emergency conditions. Official page.

*Haleyville / Winston County area*

• Lakeland Community Hospital, 42024 AL-195, Haleyville, AL 35565, (205) 486-5213. Its website says "Our emergency room is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week." Website: lakelandcommunityhospital.com.

*Jasper / Walker County area*

• Baptist Health Walker Hospital, 3400 Hwy 78 E, Jasper, AL 35501. This is the hospital's name on the Baptist Health website. Older sources, including some city pages, call it Walker Baptist Medical Center. Baptist Health's Emergency Care page says its emergency departments, which it lists as including Walker Hospital ER, are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are not printing a phone number for this hospital, because two Baptist Health pages list different main numbers and we could not tell which is correct. Use the hospital's official page for current contact details.

*Hartselle and Decatur area*

• Hartselle Health Park ER, 1549 US-31, Hartselle, AL 35640, 256-735-5920. It is a freestanding emergency department operated by Cullman Regional, not by Decatur Morgan Hospital. Cullman Regional's page says it is open 24/7. Official page.
• Decatur Morgan Hospital, Decatur Campus, 1201 7th Street SE, Decatur, AL 35601, 256-973-2000. HH Health (the Huntsville Hospital Health System) lists its emergency services there as "Open 24 hours."
• Decatur Morgan Hospital, Parkway Campus, 1874 Beltline Road SW, Decatur, AL 35603, 256-973-6000. HH Health lists its emergency services as "Open 24 hours." These are the two Decatur Morgan Hospital emergency campuses listed by the health system. Decatur Morgan Hospital.

*Huntsville and Madison*

• Huntsville Hospital, 101 Sivley Road, Huntsville, AL 35801, (256) 265-1000. The hospital describes itself as the region's only state-designated level I trauma center, and HH Health lists its emergency department as open 24 hours. The health system's list gives the emergency department address as 806 Gallatin Street SW, so confirm the entrance before navigating. Website: huntsvillehospital.org.
• Madison Hospital, 8375 Hwy. 72 W., Madison, AL 35758, (256) 265-2012. HH Health lists its emergency department as open 24 hours. Website: madisonalhospital.org.

*Fayette*

• Fayette Medical Center, 1653 Temple Ave., Fayette, AL 35555, (205) 932-5966. Its page says the Emergency Department is staffed full-time by physicians. It does not state hours, so we do not say it is open 24 hours. Official page.

*Moulton: a hospital site without a public emergency room*

• Lawrence Medical Center, 202 Hospital Street, Moulton, AL 35650, 256-974-2200. The health system's pages list outpatient services here (laboratory, physical therapy, imaging, EKG) and list emergency departments only at the Decatur and Parkway campuses. Local news (WAFF, April 29, 2025) reported that its emergency room would close on May 23, 2025. We could not find an official health-system page that says so directly, so call 911 for an emergency and do not drive there expecting an emergency room. A separate Lawrence Medical Urgent Care at 10939 Alabama Highway 157, Moulton, 256-974-6550, is urgent care only, with weekday hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekend hours of 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. per its page.

We left out Northwest Regional Health in Winfield because we could not confirm its details from a page the hospital itself publishes, and we did not research Birmingham-area hospitals for this edition. Hours and services can change. Always call 911 for an emergency and let the dispatcher choose the destination. For practices, clinics and other health-related businesses, browse Health & Wellness in the directory.

County and local contacts (not for emergencies)

These lines are for non-emergencies, planning and information. For an emergency, call 911.

*Sheriff's offices*

• Cullman County Sheriff's Office: 256-734-0342, listed as the non-emergency number on the agency's alert page. 1910 Beech Avenue SE, Cullman.
• Walker County Sheriff's Office: 205-302-6464, listed as the non-emergency number on the sheriff's own site. 2001 2nd Avenue, Jasper.
• Winston County Sheriff: (205) 489-8765, 11 Blake Drive, Double Springs. The state's county directory does not say whether this is a non-emergency line.
• Morgan County Sheriff: (256) 351-4800, 119 Lee Street NE, Decatur. The state's county directory does not say whether this is a non-emergency line.

*Emergency management agencies (planning and storm information, not 911)*

• Cullman County EMA: 256-739-5410, 2020 Beech Avenue SE, Cullman. The county offers an alert sign-up through its EMA page.
• Winston County EMA: 205-489-2747.
• Walker County EMA: 205-384-7233. Walker County's website also links a CodeRED registration page for emergency alerts.
• Morgan County EMA: 256-351-4621.
• Alabama Emergency Management Agency: 1-205-280-2200 or 1-800-843-0699, with an emergency alerts sign-up.

*Police and fire departments (office lines, not 911)*

• Cullman Police Department: 256-775-7160. Cullman Fire & Rescue: 256-775-7186.
• Jasper Police Department: office 205-221-6790. Its page also lists "911 or 205-221-2121" under emergencies; if you are unsure, call 911. Jasper Fire & Rescue, 205-221-8509 (the Fire Chief's number on the city page).
• Hartselle Police Department: 256-773-8264. Hartselle Fire & Rescue: 256-773-2545.
• Decatur Police Department: (256) 341-4600.

We could not confirm separate official numbers for police or fire in Haleyville, Double Springs or Arley, or for the volunteer fire departments that serve the lake shoreline, so we have not listed any. To find out which fire district and ambulance service cover a particular property, ask your county EMA or 911 district. We could not verify an ambulance provider for any county from an official page.

Marine emergencies and Alabama Marine Patrol

On the water, an emergency is still a 911 emergency: call 911 first for drowning, a missing swimmer, a serious injury, a fire on a boat or a collision. State boating law enforcement belongs to the Marine Patrol Division of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). ALEA's contact page lists the Northern District office, which names Lewis Smith Lake, at 1830 Constellation Avenue, Alpine, AL 35014, 256.291.9253. ALEA headquarters is at 301 South Ripley Street, Montgomery, 334.676.6005 or 800.272.7930. ALEA does not publish these as emergency lines, so treat them as office numbers.

Boating accidents have reporting rules. ALEA's boating rules page says an operator involved in an accident causing loss of life, injury, or damage in excess of $2,000 must submit an accident report to the Marine Patrol Division within 24 hours, and its accident report page repeats the 24-hour requirement. The state boating statute text we could find (Ala. Code section 33-5-25) gives a separate 10-day period for a written report of death, injury or damage over $2,000, so ALEA's 24-hour instruction is the stricter one to follow. Report as soon as you can, and ask Marine Patrol if you are unsure what you must file.

Life jackets: ALEA says most boating fatalities result from capsizing or falling overboard when the victim was not wearing a life jacket, that everyone aboard must have a life jacket available, that children under eight must wear one while on a boat, and that anyone being towed on skis or a tube must wear one. The U.S. Coast Guard recommends wearing a life jacket at all times when the vessel is underway.

Carbon monoxide: the U.S. Coast Guard's boating safety site warns that carbon monoxide cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, that its symptoms resemble seasickness or intoxication, and that it can affect people whether the boat is underway, moored or anchored.

Poison control and crisis support

The Alabama Poison Information Center at Children's of Alabama lists a 24/7 hotline, 1-800-222-1222, for poison advice for all ages. The service is described as free and confidential. If the person has collapsed, is having a seizure, has trouble breathing or cannot be awakened, call 911 instead. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline says it is available 24/7/365 by call, text or chat; dial or text 988.

Severe weather, lightning and the lake

• The National Weather Service forecast office for Birmingham publishes watches, warnings and advisories at weather.gov/bmx. Check which forecast office covers your location on the NWS site; the page we read does not list counties.
• NOAA Weather Radio is described by the National Weather Service as available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We could not confirm which transmitter reaches a particular cove.
• The National Weather Service lightning guidance says if you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you; move to a substantial building and stay in shelter at least 30 minutes after the last thunder. If no shelter is nearby, get out and away from lakes and other bodies of water.
• Alabama EMA offers free emergency alerts, a county EMA directory and links to ready.gov guides for severe weather, floods and tornadoes at ema.alabama.gov.
• The Lake page on Smith Lake NOW shows official alerts and lake conditions with the source and time of each reading, and the Help Center explains official alerts and what to do in an emergency. Member-posted lake alerts are community reports, not official warnings.
• Alabama Power points lake users to its Shorelines app and website for lake conditions and generation schedules.

Power outages

• Alabama Power: report outages at 1-800-888-2726 or through your account online. For downed power lines, Alabama Power says to stay far away.
• Cullman Electric Cooperative: 256-737-3200 to report an outage; an outage map is on its website.
• Joe Wheeler EMC: its site lists a general line, (256) 552-2300, and links an outage map; it serves Lawrence and Morgan counties.

We have not confirmed from an official page exactly which utility serves each cove. Your electric bill tells you who your provider is. If a downed line is sparking or someone is hurt, call 911.

Before you travel to the lake: a short checklist

1. Save the 911 address of where you are staying. If it is a rental, ask the host for it and for the nearest named cove or ramp. See the boat ramps and public access guide and the marinas page.
2. Check the forecast, and sign up for free alerts from Alabama EMA and your county (see above). Read the water levels guide for how conditions change.
3. Bring a properly fitting life jacket for every person aboard, and know the rules for children and towed riders.
4. If you will run a boat, read the Coast Guard's carbon monoxide pages. The Coast Guard says the symptoms resemble seasickness or intoxication and that carbon monoxide can affect people whether the boat is underway, moored or anchored.
5. Charge your phone. Texting 911 can help when you cannot speak, but the Alabama 911 Board warns that location accuracy is sometimes limited, so always state where you are.
6. Look up the hospital emergency departments and urgent care clinics above for the area you are visiting, and note that urgent care clinics keep limited hours. Do not rely on a travel-time estimate; the 911 dispatcher chooses the destination.

For the full picture of the lake, see the complete guide to Lewis Smith Lake, the marinas, fuel and boat services guide, and where to stay, eat, shop and explore. Browse neighborhoods on the areas page.

Information changes: how to verify it

Phone numbers, hours and services change, and hospitals merge, rename and open or close departments. This guide reflects what official websites said on 2026-10-25. Before you rely on a number for anything other than 911:

• Open the official website linked beside each entry and check the date and contact page.
• Be careful with third-party directories, map apps and search snippets. We found several that listed old names, wrong ZIP codes or other organizations' phone numbers.
• If two official pages disagree, call the organization during business hours and ask which line to use.
• In a real emergency, none of this matters: call 911.

If you find something wrong in this guide, please tell us through the Help Center.