Skip to content  NFPA 1710 Staffing and Legal Mandates  Today’s
burning question: Are there any Federal laws or requirements
that mandate that fire departments comply with or meet NFPA 1710
staffing levels or response times?  Answer: There are no laws
that I am aware of on a Federal or state level that directly
mandate that  fire departments comply with NFPA 1710.  There are
a few jurisdictions that have adopted 1710 on a local level
through ordinances.  However, there are two back-door ways that
non-compliance with NFPA 1710 can potentially become a legal
problem for a fire department.  The first involves OSHA (which
in the case of public entities means state OSHA), and the
general duty requirement. OSHA places two important
responsibilities on employers (with fire departments being
employers). The first responsibility is to comply with all OSHA
standards. The second is to provide a workplace that is free
from “recognized hazards”. This second requirement is known as
the general duty requirement.  An employe