Fire codes

Ohio Fire Code & Departments

High annual-fires load (#7 of 51 nationally) against a International Fire Code (IFC) floor - 1,314 departments on the roster.

International Fire Code (IFC) Adopted 2021

Ohio Fire Code (IFC based)

Ohio adopts the IFC with state amendments through the State Fire Marshal. Strong emphasis on occupancy and commercial fire safety.

International Fire Code (IFC) · fires rank #7 of 51

Ohio adopts International Fire Code (IFC) (2021), shared by 33 of 51 states in this extract. 1,314 fire departments; the state ranks #7 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #7 of 51 nationally
  • 33 of 51 states share this code type
  • 185 career / 920 volunteer depts
1,314
Fire Departments
44,930
Total Personnel
920
Volunteer Depts
185
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Ohio

#1
Columbus Division of Fire
Columbus
1,675 personnel
#2
Cleveland Fire Department
Cleveland
1,028 personnel
#3
Toledo Fire and Rescue Department
Toledo
508 personnel
#4
Akron Fire Department
Akron
420 personnel
#5
Washington Township Fire Department
Dayton
208 personnel
View all 1,314 departments in Ohio →

Ohio's high fire-load code desk

High incident load (#7 of 51 nationally; ~68,900 fires/year) tests International Fire Code (IFC) in the field more often than low-load peers on the same family.

Enforcement capacity is mixed: 185 career and 920 volunteer departments (17% career among typed orgs), totaling 44,930 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: Columbus Division of Fire (1,675 personnel, 3.7% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Ohio is #7 of 51 (~68,900 fires/year ; 138 fire deaths; 718 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 Ohio?
Ohio has 1,314 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 185 career departments and 920 volunteer departments with 44,930 total personnel.
How does Ohio's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Ohio #7 of 51 by annual fires (~68,900 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 Ohio use?
Ohio adopts the Ohio Fire Code (IFC based) (adopted 2021). Ohio adopts the IFC with state amendments through the State Fire Marshal. Strong emphasis on occupancy and commercial fire safety.
How current is Ohio's adopted fire code?
Ohio 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).