Fire codes

Delaware Fire Code & Departments

Legacy adoption vintage (2018) with a volunteer-heavy roster (50 volunteer vs 1 career departments).

NFPA Fire Code Adopted 2018

Delaware Fire Prevention Regulations (NFPA based)

Delaware adopts fire codes based on NFPA standards. The State Fire Marshal enforces codes through a system of fire districts and volunteer companies.

NFPA Fire Code · fires rank #44 of 51

Delaware adopts NFPA Fire Code (2018), shared by 11 of 51 states in this extract. 67 fire departments; the state ranks #44 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #44 of 51 nationally
  • 11 of 51 states share this code type
  • 1 career / 50 volunteer depts
67
Fire Departments
5,215
Total Personnel
50
Volunteer Depts
1
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Delaware

#1
Volunteer Hose Company of Middletown
Middletown
304 personnel
#2
Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder Company
Newark
303 personnel
#3
Wilmington Manor Volunteer Fire Company
New Castle
251 personnel
#4
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington
177 personnel
#5
Christiana Fire Company Ambulance
Bear
142 personnel
View all 67 departments in Delaware →

Delaware: volunteer-led legacy code desk

Legacy vintage (2018) with volunteer share 98% (50 volunteer vs 1 career among typed orgs). Rural companies often rely on the state fire marshal for plan review while the statewide floor ages in place.

Enforcement capacity is volunteer-dominant: 50 volunteer vs 1 career departments (2% career among typed orgs), with 5,215 personnel on HIFLD. In this mix, statewide code language matters most where the state fire marshal or county inspector fills gaps rural companies cannot staff full-time. Largest roster in-state: Volunteer Hose Company of Middletown (304 personnel, 5.8% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Delaware is #44 of 51 (~7,500 fires/year ; 11 fire deaths; 83 injuries). Pair that incident load with the adoption vintage above when judging how hard the code is tested in the field. Figures: HIFLD Open Data ( FEMA / U.S. Fire Administration ), USFA published statistics, and state code-adoption records in this portal's extract.

Same NFPA Fire Code family: nearest adoption peers

  • IA · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • IN · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • ME · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • NH · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • RI · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • VT · adopted 2018 (same model year)

Frequently Asked Questions

What fire code does Delaware use?
Delaware adopts the Delaware Fire Prevention Regulations (NFPA based) (adopted 2018). Delaware adopts fire codes based on NFPA standards. The State Fire Marshal enforces codes through a system of fire districts and volunteer companies.
How many fire departments are in Delaware?
Delaware has 67 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 1 career departments and 50 volunteer departments with 5,215 total personnel.
How current is Delaware's adopted fire code?
Delaware shows adoption year 2018 in this extract (legacy band, 2018 or earlier). Local amendments can still tighten sprinkler or wildland rules beyond the statewide floor.
How does Delaware's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Delaware #44 of 51 by annual fires (~7,500 fires/year in this extract). Pair that load with the adoption vintage and department mix on this page, high-load states stress code enforcement differently than low-load peers on the same code family.
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFireData

Keep reading: Methodology (HIFLD + USFA join notes for this extract).