Fire Chiefs Expect Data Center Planning Changes

A CPSE Center for Innovation survey finds most responding fire chiefs expect data center development to require significant changes to fire department planning.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Data Centers

Flat-color editorial illustration of a plain red fire engine beside a long windowless data center with rooftop cooling units, in deep red, cream, and navy. — Most fire chiefs responding to a CPSE Center for Innovation survey say data center development will require significant changes to fire department planning and preparedness. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you think your community is prepared for risks from new data centers?

The CPSE Center for Innovation released its fifth Strategic Scan, titled "Data Center Response and Preparedness," based on a survey of chiefs from accredited agencies and Chief Fire Officer credential holders. Some 68% of responding chiefs said data center development will require significant changes to fire department planning and preparedness.

Why it matters

Nearly half of respondents (49%) have no known data center projects in their service area, while others already face operational facilities, proposals, or construction, raising questions about how fire departments across the country will prepare. The findings point to a growing gap between data center expansion and local emergency readiness.

Among respondents, 19% reported their authority having jurisdiction imposed a development moratorium, and 44% agreed or strongly agreed that data centers present significant challenges for their agency. The survey does not detail the specific technical hazards behind those challenges beyond the battery-related concerns cited in the report.

The players

CPSE Center for Innovation

The research arm of the Center for Public Safety Excellence, which publishes strategic scans on emerging fire and emergency service issues.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

A nonprofit that develops widely adopted fire and life-safety codes and standards and supported the report.

The details

The survey was sent to chiefs from agencies accredited by the CPSE Commission on Fire Accreditation International and to holders of the Chief Fire Officer credential. The report was produced in partnership with AFESA and Marist University, with support from the NFPA, and 49% of respondents said data center operators had already communicated with their agency.

Next 24 months: chiefs plan coordination with local agencies, additional firefighter training, and developer engagement during planning.

The Tech Race

The fifth Strategic Scan in the CPSE Center for Innovation series extends its focus on emerging emergency-preparedness issues to data centers, a rapidly expanding category of infrastructure. The findings suggest fire departments are being asked to plan for facility types their existing codes and training were not built around.

Residents near proposed or operating data centers may see changes in local fire department planning, training, and coordination with facility developers. Communities without current projects may still face future development as operators approach local agencies.

The takeaway

Fire departments expecting data center growth can begin coordinating with developers and local agencies before projects are approved. Early engagement is the most practical step the report's respondents identified for closing the preparedness gap.