About the National Fire Department Census

In the spring of 1998, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) convened a Blue Ribbon Panel of prominent members of the U.S. fire service to review the structure, mission and purpose of the U.S. Administration (USFA) and to make recommendations for the future of the Federal fire focus. The Blue Ribbon Panel noted the lack of a comprehensive list of fire departments and baseline data for the definition of the composition, capabilities, and activities of the nation's fire service. Their recommendation was for the USFA to develop a fire department census.

In the fall of 2001, the USFA launched a nationwide campaign for voluntary registration of fire departments by means of direct mailing, coordination with fire service organizations and state offices, referencing existing data sources and conference promotions. By early June 2004 more than 22,800 fire departments had registered with the National Fire Department Census.

The purpose of the census is to create a national database for use by the fire protection and prevention communities, allied professions, the general public and the USFA. USFA uses the database to conduct special studies, guide program decision-making, and to improve direct communication with individual fire departments.

The census database provides a current directory of registered fire departments and includes basic information such as address, department type, website, and number of stations. The survey also collects information that is released in summary format only: number of personnel and specialized services.

Summary of Data in the National Fire Department Census as of January 2012 »

The USFA is continuously working to encourage more fire departments to participate in the census. The census form can be completed online at this website or by downloading the census form and faxing it to (301) 447-1049 or by mailing it to:

U.S. Fire Administration
National Fire Data Center
16825 S Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727

Fire departments currently registered with the census are able to update information for their department through the website. All new submissions and updates are reviewed by the USFA before they are included in the census.

For more information about the USFA National Fire Department Census, please contact us.