Montana Adopts 2003 Uniform Fire Code

(April 2, 2004) - Montana has adopted the most up-to-date edition of NFPA 1: Uniform Fire Code (UFC), effective April 1.

Widely used across the country, NFPA 1: Uniform Fire Code protects people and property in new and existing buildings by establishing reasonable levels of fire safety and property protection from potential hazards created by fire and explosion. NFPA 1: Uniform Fire Code integrates the two most widely adopted fire codes in the country, NFPA 1, Fire Prevention Code and the Uniform Fire Code.

"Keeping pace with the latest developments in fire code safety is essential," said Acting State Fire Marshal Allen Lorenz. "Updates to these codes reflect advancing safety knowledge, and it's our job to make sure the people of Montana have the best protection possible."

Local jurisdictions will have 90 days to adopt the code. Montana code enforcers have already participated in NFPA's training program that covers both the code requirements and the ways it can best be utilized. NFPA makes this training and the relevant codebooks free to government code enforcement officials, which reduces costs for Montana taxpayers. The training also ensures that code enforcers have the latest reference materials available after code updates.

NFPA 1: Uniform Fire Code is part of a full set of codes for the built environment developed by NFPA and its partners. The Comprehensive Consensus Codes (C3) represents the only full set of construction codes that have been developed through processes accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private, nonprofit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. The 300 NFPA technical committees responsible for developing and updating all codes and standards include 6,000 volunteers, representing enforcing authorities, installation and maintenance, labor, research and testing, insurance, special experts, consumers, and other users.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research, training and education. NFPA headquarters is located in Quincy, MA, USA.