Disclaimer
PlainFireData publishes federal fire-service data to help people understand the fire departments and fire risk in their communities. It is an information resource, not safety, emergency, or professional advice. This page explains what the numbers mean and what they cannot tell you.
Informational use only
Fire is a leading cause of preventable death in the home, and according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) thousands of civilian fire deaths are recorded across the United States each year. The station profiles, grant histories, personnel counts, and state fire statistics shown on PlainFireData are drawn from public federal data and are provided for general information only. They are not a substitute for guidance from your local fire department, a professional fire-safety inspection, or emergency services. In a fire or any emergency, call 911. The data is explained in full in our methodology.
What the numbers can and cannot tell you
- HIFLD records are self-reported and may be dated. Personnel counts, station inventories, and apparatus lists are reported by departments to the federal registry and may not reflect current staffing, recent equipment changes, or reorganizations.
- USFA state statistics come from voluntary reporting. They are compiled from NFIRS, to which departments report incidents voluntarily — not all fires are reported, and participation varies by state and by department size. State totals are estimates, not exact counts.
- Coverage is not completeness. Some departments — particularly small volunteer or private brigades — may be absent from the federal data. Absence from PlainFireData does not mean a community lacks fire protection, and presence does not certify a department's current readiness.
- Rankings are relative, not a safety rating. Per-capita and percentile measures compare places to each other from the available data; they are not a prediction of your individual fire risk, which depends on your home, your behavior, and local conditions.
No affiliation, no warranty
PlainFireData is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by HIFLD, the U.S. Fire Administration, FEMA, DHS/CISA, or any government agency. While we work to render the federal data accurately and fix errors at the source (see our editorial & corrections policy), the data is provided "as is" without warranty. Always confirm safety-critical information with your local fire department and the official federal sources linked throughout this site.