Fire codes

Georgia Fire Code & Departments

High annual-fires load (#9 of 51 nationally) against a International Fire Code (IFC) floor - 777 departments on the roster.

International Fire Code (IFC) Adopted 2021

International Fire Code (IFC)

Georgia adopts the IFC with Georgia amendments. The Georgia Safety Fire Commissioner has statewide authority for enforcement.

International Fire Code (IFC) · fires rank #9 of 51

Georgia adopts International Fire Code (IFC) (2021), shared by 33 of 51 states in this extract. 777 fire departments; the state ranks #9 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #9 of 51 nationally
  • 33 of 51 states share this code type
  • 73 career / 256 volunteer depts
777
Fire Departments
14,656
Total Personnel
256
Volunteer Depts
73
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Georgia

#1
Walker County Emergency Services
Rock Spring
354 personnel
#2
Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services
Riverdale
300 personnel
#3
Savannah Fire Department
Savannah
285 personnel
#4
Hall County Fire Services
Gainesville
259 personnel
#5
Albany Fire Department
Albany
223 personnel
View all 777 departments in Georgia →

Georgia's high fire-load code desk

High incident load (#9 of 51 nationally; ~56,000 fires/year) tests International Fire Code (IFC) in the field more often than low-load peers on the same family.

Enforcement capacity is mixed: 73 career and 256 volunteer departments (22% career among typed orgs), totaling 14,656 personnel. Expect urban career offices to carry denser inspection calendars while volunteer districts lean on the state fire marshal for complex reviews. Largest roster in-state: Walker County Emergency Services (354 personnel, 2.4% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Georgia is #9 of 51 (~56,000 fires/year ; 128 fire deaths; 401 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 International Fire Code (IFC) family: nearest adoption peers

  • AL · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • AR · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • CO · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • DC · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • IL · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • MD · adopted 2021 (same model year)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many fire departments are in Georgia?
Georgia has 777 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 73 career departments and 256 volunteer departments with 14,656 total personnel.
How does Georgia's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Georgia #9 of 51 by annual fires (~56,000 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.
What fire code does Georgia use?
Georgia adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) (adopted 2021). Georgia adopts the IFC with Georgia amendments. The Georgia Safety Fire Commissioner has statewide authority for enforcement.
How current is Georgia's adopted fire code?
Georgia shows adoption year 2021 in this extract (mid-cycle band, 2019–2021). Local amendments can still tighten sprinkler or wildland rules beyond the statewide floor.
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFireData

Keep reading: Fire safety by state (pairs adoption vintage with incident load).