Indiana fire code
Indiana's fire code is the 2014 Indiana Fire Code, and it's the rulebook your building is held to today. It grew out of the 2012 International Fire Code. Not sure your building meets it? Call today to go through it step by step.
Code in force: 2014 Indiana Fire Code (2012 IFC). Enforced by: Indiana State Fire Marshal. Your local fire marshal can add rules, so check with that office too.
- state fire code based on 2012 IFC 2014 Indiana Fire Code
- effective date under rule 675 IAC 22-2.5 12/1/2014
- standard for sprinkler inspection and testing NFPA 25, 2011 Edition
- state office overseeing fire code enforcement Indiana State Fire Marshal
Asking about a house? For a house or duplex, smoke alarm and sprinkler rules usually come from the residential building code (the IRC) instead, so ask your local building department.
Which edition applies?
The 2014 Indiana Fire Code came into force through 675 IAC 22-2.5. Its predecessor, the 2008 code built on the 2006 International Fire Code, was taken off the books on 12/1/2014.
A readoption review found the rule still needed as written, with no changes. Oversight belongs to the state's Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, the body that adopts Indiana's fire prevention rules into Title 675 of the Indiana Administrative Code.
The standards behind system testing
The fire code leans on rulebooks published by the NFPA, the National Fire Protection Association. Think of each one as a rulebook for a certain kind of gear, and Indiana adopts a particular edition of each.
| System | Rulebook | Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Fire alarm systems | NFPA 72 | 2010 |
| Sprinkler installation | NFPA 13 | 2010 |
| Residential sprinklers, 4 stories or fewer | NFPA 13R | 2010 |
| Water-based system inspection and testing | NFPA 25 | 2011 |
| Portable extinguishers | NFPA 10 | 2010 |
Indiana has adopted these editions for these systems.
Indiana fire marshal
The governor appoints the State Fire Marshal, who directs fire prevention and protection statewide. The office sits inside the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, where it handles enforcement of the state's fire safety codes along with regulated devices. Steve Jones is the current State Fire Marshal, appointed in 2022.
Building and fire safety inspections come from the Code Enforcement Section, which partners with local departments. Code officials also give local building and fire departments a hand with code interpretation and inspection assistance.
Have a question about the code? Call us today and we'll sort out what your building needs. The state's Code Services line can also help if you want to hear it from the Commission.
If a fire system stops working
If a required alarm or sprinkler system goes out of service, section 901.7 of the 2014 code kicks in. You must notify the fire code official. After that, the building gets evacuated or a fire watch is put in place. A fire watch means someone is assigned to keep an eye on the building for fire until the system is back up.
Individual cities sometimes layer on extra steps. Mishawaka, for instance, requires owners to notify the fire department when a system will be down for 8 or more hours.
Plan review before you install
Plans covering Class 1 structures, fire suppression systems among them, must go to the state building commissioner, who reviews them ahead of installation. Indiana Code 22-15-3 sets out the filing requirements.
On the fire suppression application, the design may be certified by a fire suppression contractor, by an architect or engineer, or by a person who holds NICET III, a national technician certification. Plans have to be reviewed before installation, so call today for help preparing and filing them.
Indianapolis Fire Department
The city of Indianapolis has its own fire department, headquartered at 955 Ft. Wayne Ave. in Indianapolis, IN 46202. The department runs 44 stations across 7 battalions, arranged into 4 bureaus with 15 divisions.
On its website, you'll find a page for requesting inspection reports, along with other report types. Schools in Indianapolis route their emergency safety drills and building inspection records to the department through an online page.