# New England Fire Services Raise Battery Safety Awareness

New England state fire marshals from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont, in collaboration with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), have launched a coordinated awareness campaign during Fire Prevention Week to address the sharp increase in lithium-ion battery-related fires. This initiative highlights the critical need for safe charging, storage, and disposal practices to mitigate fire risks associated with these batteries, which have seen a nearly 400% rise in incidents nationally between 2020 and 2023. Procurement professionals and contractors supporting fire services and safety equipment should note the growing emphasis on battery safety standards and public education efforts.

- State fire departments are prioritizing battery safety, indicating potential demand for advanced fire detection, suppression technologies, and educational materials tailored to lithium-ion battery hazards.
- Procurement teams should evaluate opportunities to supply compliant safety equipment and training services aligned with NFPA guidelines and state fire marshal recommendations.
- This awareness campaign underscores the importance of integrating battery safety considerations into fire prevention contracts and emergency response planning across New England.
- Companies providing fire safety solutions can leverage this trend to engage with multiple state agencies simultaneously, given the regional collaboration among New England fire services.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** September 26, 2026

### Government Entities
- Massachusetts Department of Fire Services
- Connecticut Department of Fire Services
- Vermont Department of Fire Services
- New Hampshire Department of Fire Services
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

### Key Quotes
> As we turn on the heat and spend more time indoors, we start to see more late night and early morning fires that tragically lead to death and serious injury. So before we go any further, I want to emphasize the importance of working smoke alarms on every level of every home. Working alarms give you time to escape before a fire turns deadly, so be sure you can hear that beep wherever you sleep.
> — Christopher J. Bartone, Fire Chief

> Across the country, battery fires jumped by almost 400% between 2020 and 2023. We saw the same thing in Massachusetts, with reported battery fires climbing from fewer than 20 to more than 130 in just a couple of years. And we’re on track to have more battery fires reported this month than any other since we started collecting data. And the hazard isn’t just in batteries starting fires. Lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density, meaning they pack a lot of power into a small device. That means any kind of damage, including heat from an unrelated fire, can cause them to explode in sparks and flames, spreading a fire faster and further.
> — Jon Davine, Massachusetts State Fire Marshal

### Sources
- [New England's Fire Service Leaders Raise Awareness of Battery Safety | Mass.gov](https://www.mass.gov/news/new-englands-fire-service-leaders-raise-awareness-of-battery-safety) - MA