Fire codes

New Jersey Fire Code & Departments

High annual-fires load (#11 of 51 nationally) against a International Fire Code (IFC) floor - 578 departments on the roster.

International Fire Code (IFC) Adopted 2021

New Jersey Uniform Fire Code (IFC based)

New Jersey adopts the IFC with extensive state amendments as the Uniform Fire Code. The Division of Fire Safety oversees enforcement statewide.

International Fire Code (IFC) · fires rank #11 of 51

New Jersey adopts International Fire Code (IFC) (2021), shared by 33 of 51 states in this extract. 578 fire departments; the state ranks #11 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #11 of 51 nationally
  • 33 of 51 states share this code type
  • 57 career / 356 volunteer depts
578
Fire Departments
35,948
Total Personnel
356
Volunteer Depts
57
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in New Jersey

#1
Newark Fire Department Rescue 1
Newark
730 personnel
#2
Middletown Township Fire Department
Red Bank
400 personnel
#3
Atlantic City Fire Department
Atlantic City
279 personnel
#4
Winslow Township Fire District
Atco
277 personnel
#5
Elizabeth Fire Department
Elizabeth
264 personnel
View all 578 departments in New Jersey →

New Jersey's high fire-load code desk

High incident load (#11 of 51 nationally; ~51,500 fires/year) tests International Fire Code (IFC) in the field more often than low-load peers on the same family.

Enforcement capacity is volunteer-dominant: 356 volunteer vs 57 career departments (14% career among typed orgs), with 35,948 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: Newark Fire Department Rescue 1 (730 personnel, 2.0% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for New Jersey is #11 of 51 (~51,500 fires/year ; 70 fire deaths; 598 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)
  • GA · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • IL · adopted 2021 (same model year)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many fire departments are in New Jersey?
New Jersey has 578 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 57 career departments and 356 volunteer departments with 35,948 total personnel.
How does New Jersey's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks New Jersey #11 of 51 by annual fires (~51,500 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.
What fire code does New Jersey use?
New Jersey adopts the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code (IFC based) (adopted 2021). New Jersey adopts the IFC with extensive state amendments as the Uniform Fire Code. The Division of Fire Safety oversees enforcement statewide.
How current is New Jersey's adopted fire code?
New Jersey 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).