Fire codes

Pennsylvania Fire Code & Departments

Legacy adoption vintage (2018) with a volunteer-heavy roster (1,240 volunteer vs 38 career departments).

International Fire Code (IFC) Adopted 2018

International Fire Code (IFC)

Pennsylvania adopts the IFC at the state level. Local jurisdictions including Philadelphia and Pittsburgh maintain additional requirements.

International Fire Code (IFC) · fires rank #5 of 51

Pennsylvania adopts International Fire Code (IFC) (2018), shared by 33 of 51 states in this extract. 1,776 fire departments; the state ranks #5 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #5 of 51 nationally
  • 33 of 51 states share this code type
  • 38 career / 1,240 volunteer depts
1,776
Fire Departments
85,879
Total Personnel
1,240
Volunteer Depts
38
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Pennsylvania

#1
Sun Valley Volunteer Fire Company
Effort
331 personnel
#2
Rocky Grove Volunteer Fire Department
Franklin
327 personnel
#3
Upper Darby Township Fire Department - Upper Darby Fire Company
Upper Darby
308 personnel
#4
Mount Pleasant Township Volunteer Fire Department 1 - Kecksburg
Mount Pleasant
210 personnel
#5
Yardley-Makefield Fire Company
Yardley
210 personnel
View all 1,776 departments in Pennsylvania →

Pennsylvania: volunteer-led legacy code desk

Legacy vintage (2018) with volunteer share 97% (1,240 volunteer vs 38 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: 1,240 volunteer vs 38 career departments (3% career among typed orgs), with 85,879 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: Sun Valley Volunteer Fire Company (331 personnel, 0.4% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Pennsylvania is #5 of 51 (~73,800 fires/year ; 115 fire deaths; 825 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

  • AK · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • AZ · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • HI · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • ID · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • KS · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • KY · adopted 2018 (same model year)

Frequently Asked Questions

What fire code does Pennsylvania use?
Pennsylvania adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) (adopted 2018). Pennsylvania adopts the IFC at the state level. Local jurisdictions including Philadelphia and Pittsburgh maintain additional requirements.
How many fire departments are in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has 1,776 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 38 career departments and 1,240 volunteer departments with 85,879 total personnel.
How current is Pennsylvania's adopted fire code?
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Pennsylvania #5 of 51 by annual fires (~73,800 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).