The state of Delaware has updated its statewide adoption of NFPA 1, Fire Code and NFPA 101, Life Safety Code to the 2009 editions, and NFPA 70, National Electrical Code to the 2008 edition. The state has also updated several other NFPA codes and standards to the latest version. All adoptions became effective on November 11, 2009.  

The state of Delaware has updated its statewide adoption of NFPA 1, Fire Code and NFPA 101, Life Safety Code to the 2009 editions, and NFPA 70, National Electrical Code to the 2008 edition. The state has also updated several other NFPA codes and standards to the latest version. All adoptions became effective on November 11, 2009. 

“We have learned from past experience that utilizing the most up-to-date versions of fire and life safety codes and standards is an essential part of protecting the people of Delaware from fire and other hazards,” said Grover P. Ingle, Delaware state fire marshal.

NFPA 1 provides requirements necessary to establish a reasonable level of fire safety and property protection from hazards created by fire and explosion. Its primary purposes are to address basic fire prevention requirements and to reference or extract the fire prevention and protection aspects of many other NFPA codes and standards.

The Life Safety Code sets minimum building design, construction, operation, and maintenance requirements necessary to protect building occupants from dangers caused by fire, smoke, and toxic fumes. It also provides prompt escape requirements for new and existing buildings. The Life Safety Code is used in every U.S. state and has been adopted statewide in 43 states.
 
Since 1911, NFPA has been the developer and publisher of the NFPA 70, National Electrical Code. Setting the standard for safe electrical installations, NFPA 70, National Electrical Code is the most widely used code in the U.S. and the world. It is adopted in nearly all U.S. states, many territories, and several countries. The 2008 NEC is the 51st edition of the code.

Delaware has completed training on NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 and is scheduled for future instruction through programs developed by NFPA later this year, which are offered to states that have adopted major NFPA codes and standards. These trainings, provided by NFPA technical experts, cover the codes’ requirements and the numerous ways they can be utilized and enforced.