Fire codes

Iowa Fire Code & Departments

Legacy adoption vintage (2018) with a volunteer-heavy roster (567 volunteer vs 24 career departments).

NFPA Fire Code Adopted 2018

Iowa State Fire Marshal Fire Code (NFPA based)

Iowa adopts fire codes based on NFPA standards through the State Fire Marshal Division.

NFPA Fire Code · fires rank #28 of 51

Iowa adopts NFPA Fire Code (2018), shared by 11 of 51 states in this extract. 789 fire departments; the state ranks #28 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #28 of 51 nationally
  • 11 of 51 states share this code type
  • 24 career / 567 volunteer depts
789
Fire Departments
16,337
Total Personnel
567
Volunteer Depts
24
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Iowa

#1
Des Moines Fire and Rescue Department
Des Moines
310 personnel
#2
Davenport Fire Department Prevention Bureau - Central Station
Davenport
145 personnel
#3
Cedar Rapids Fire Department - Central Station
Cedar Rapids
142 personnel
#4
Waterloo Fire and Rescue
Waterloo
122 personnel
#5
Council Bluffs Fire Department
Council Bluffs
105 personnel
View all 789 departments in Iowa →

Iowa: volunteer-led legacy code desk

Legacy vintage (2018) with volunteer share 96% (567 volunteer vs 24 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: 567 volunteer vs 24 career departments (4% career among typed orgs), with 16,337 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: Des Moines Fire and Rescue Department (310 personnel, 1.9% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Iowa is #28 of 51 (~22,700 fires/year ; 39 fire deaths; 181 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

  • DE · 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 Iowa use?
Iowa adopts the Iowa State Fire Marshal Fire Code (NFPA based) (adopted 2018). Iowa adopts fire codes based on NFPA standards through the State Fire Marshal Division.
How many fire departments are in Iowa?
Iowa has 789 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 24 career departments and 567 volunteer departments with 16,337 total personnel.
How current is Iowa's adopted fire code?
Iowa 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 Iowa's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Iowa #28 of 51 by annual fires (~22,700 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).