Fire codes

Massachusetts Fire Code & Departments

Career-heavy enforcement mix (44% of typed departments) under NFPA Fire Code (2021).

NFPA Fire Code Adopted 2021

Massachusetts Fire Prevention Regulations (527 CMR)

Massachusetts adopts comprehensive fire prevention regulations based on NFPA standards. The State Fire Marshal has broad enforcement authority. Strong emphasis on fire sprinkler requirements.

NFPA Fire Code · fires rank #17 of 51

Massachusetts adopts NFPA Fire Code (2021), shared by 11 of 51 states in this extract. 432 fire departments; the state ranks #17 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #17 of 51 nationally
  • 11 of 51 states share this code type
  • 143 career / 183 volunteer depts
432
Fire Departments
19,841
Total Personnel
183
Volunteer Depts
143
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Massachusetts

#1
Worcester Fire Department
Worcester
475 personnel
#2
Cambridge Fire Department
Cambridge
285 personnel
#3
New Bedford Fire Department
New Bedford
262 personnel
#4
Springfield Fire Department
Springfield
253 personnel
#5
Fall River Fire Department
Fall River
224 personnel
View all 432 departments in Massachusetts →

Massachusetts's career-heavy code desk

Career-heavy mix (44% career) concentrates plan review in staffed marshal offices rather than volunteer districts, a different enforcement rhythm on the same NFPA Fire Code language.

Enforcement capacity skews career-heavy: 143 career vs 183 volunteer departments (44% of typed orgs), with 19,841 HIFLD personnel statewide. Career-led states more often staff full-time fire marshals for plan review and occupancy inspections under the adopted code. Largest roster in-state: Worcester Fire Department (475 personnel, 2.4% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Massachusetts is #17 of 51 (~38,700 fires/year ; 51 fire deaths; 491 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

  • CT · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • LA · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • FL · adopted 2023 (2 yr from Massachusetts)
  • DE · adopted 2018 (3 yr from Massachusetts)
  • IA · adopted 2018 (3 yr from Massachusetts)
  • IN · adopted 2018 (3 yr from Massachusetts)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many fire departments are in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has 432 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 143 career departments and 183 volunteer departments with 19,841 total personnel.
What fire code does Massachusetts use?
Massachusetts adopts the Massachusetts Fire Prevention Regulations (527 CMR) (adopted 2021). Massachusetts adopts comprehensive fire prevention regulations based on NFPA standards. The State Fire Marshal has broad enforcement authority. Strong emphasis on fire sprinkler requirements.
How current is Massachusetts's adopted fire code?
Massachusetts 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.
How does Massachusetts's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Massachusetts #17 of 51 by annual fires (~38,700 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).