Fire codes

Vermont Fire Code & Departments

Legacy adoption vintage (2018) with a volunteer-heavy roster (146 volunteer vs 4 career departments).

NFPA Fire Code Adopted 2018

Vermont Fire and Building Safety Code (NFPA based)

Vermont adopts fire codes based on NFPA standards. The Division of Fire Safety has statewide enforcement authority.

NFPA Fire Code · fires rank #48 of 51

Vermont adopts NFPA Fire Code (2018), shared by 11 of 51 states in this extract. 231 fire departments; the state ranks #48 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #48 of 51 nationally
  • 11 of 51 states share this code type
  • 4 career / 146 volunteer depts
231
Fire Departments
4,361
Total Personnel
146
Volunteer Depts
4
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Vermont

#1
Bennington Fire Department
Bennington
100 personnel
#2
Burlington Fire Department
Burlington
75 personnel
#3
Ludlow Fire Department
Ludlow
53 personnel
#4
Bennington Rural Fire Department
Bennington
51 personnel
#5
Brattleboro Fire Department
Brattleboro
50 personnel
View all 231 departments in Vermont →

Vermont: volunteer-led legacy code desk

Legacy vintage (2018) with volunteer share 97% (146 volunteer vs 4 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: 146 volunteer vs 4 career departments (3% career among typed orgs), with 4,361 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: Bennington Fire Department (100 personnel, 2.3% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Vermont is #48 of 51 (~5,500 fires/year ; 11 fire deaths; 68 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)
  • RI · adopted 2018 (same model year)

Frequently Asked Questions

What fire code does Vermont use?
Vermont adopts the Vermont Fire and Building Safety Code (NFPA based) (adopted 2018). Vermont adopts fire codes based on NFPA standards. The Division of Fire Safety has statewide enforcement authority.
How many fire departments are in Vermont?
Vermont has 231 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 4 career departments and 146 volunteer departments with 4,361 total personnel.
How current is Vermont's adopted fire code?
Vermont 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 Vermont's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Vermont #48 of 51 by annual fires (~5,500 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.
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).