Fire codes

Rhode Island Fire Code & Departments

Legacy-band statewide code from 2018 with 25 career departments carrying plan-review capacity.

NFPA Fire Code Adopted 2018

Rhode Island Fire Safety Code (NFPA based)

Rhode Island adopts fire codes based on NFPA standards. The State Fire Marshal enforces codes statewide.

NFPA Fire Code · fires rank #42 of 51

Rhode Island adopts NFPA Fire Code (2018), shared by 11 of 51 states in this extract. 87 fire departments; the state ranks #42 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #42 of 51 nationally
  • 11 of 51 states share this code type
  • 25 career / 42 volunteer depts
87
Fire Departments
4,218
Total Personnel
42
Volunteer Depts
25
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Rhode Island

#1
Cranston Fire Department
Cranston
208 personnel
#2
Bristol Fire and Rescue Department
Bristol
195 personnel
#3
Pawtucket Fire Department
Pawtucket
149 personnel
#4
Woonsocket Fire Department
Woonsocket
131 personnel
#5
Exeter Fire Department 2
Exeter
130 personnel
View all 87 departments in Rhode Island →

Rhode Island: career-backed legacy code desk

Legacy-band adoption from 2018 but 25 career departments (37% of typed orgs) still staff marshals and plan reviewers under the older edition.

Enforcement capacity skews career-heavy: 25 career vs 42 volunteer departments (37% of typed orgs), with 4,218 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: Cranston Fire Department (208 personnel, 4.9% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Rhode Island is #42 of 51 (~8,700 fires/year ; 9 fire deaths; 99 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)
  • IA · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • IN · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • ME · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • NH · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • VT · adopted 2018 (same model year)

Frequently Asked Questions

What fire code does Rhode Island use?
Rhode Island adopts the Rhode Island Fire Safety Code (NFPA based) (adopted 2018). Rhode Island adopts fire codes based on NFPA standards. The State Fire Marshal enforces codes statewide.
How current is Rhode Island's adopted fire code?
Rhode Island 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 many fire departments are in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has 87 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 25 career departments and 42 volunteer departments with 4,218 total personnel.
How does Rhode Island's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Rhode Island #42 of 51 by annual fires (~8,700 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).