STATEWIDE – October 7, 2019 – State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci announced that today, October 7, 2019, is the official effective date of the revised State Fire Prevention Code. Changes to the code include new and expanded requirements for marijuana growing and processing facilities, food trucks, and other current issues at the forefront of the fire code enforcement community.
In addition to these new requirements, the revised State Fire Prevention Code repeats many of the existing amendments from previous editions, including the requirements for the sale and handling of consumer fireworks. The State Fire Prevention Code will adopt the 2018 edition of NFPA 101, Life Safety Code and NFPA 1, Fire Code.
“My staff and I have worked vigilantly to ensure that this revised edition of the State Fire Prevention Code encompasses the complex environment we live in today to protect residents, business owners, and travelers in the State of Maryland,” said State Fire Marshal Geraci.
The State Fire Prevention Code is enforced by the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal through inspections and public education. It is crafted by The State Fire Prevention Commission, established in 1964, which consists of nine members appointed to a maximum of two five-year terms by the Secretary of the State Police with the approval of the Governor. The Commission is empowered to hear appeals filed by those who are aggrieved by an order or decision of the State Fire Marshal, or his designee, in the course of enforcing the State Fire Prevention Code. The Commission is also empowered to promulgate, amend, and repeal regulations for the safeguarding of life and property from the hazards of fire and explosion.
To read the revised version of the State Fire Prevention Code, click here.