Purpose. As the studied parameters for the comparative analysis data have been used that characterize the equipment of towns and cities with means and forces of fire service and the values of integral fire risks. Data from fire service in 133 towns and cities, representing 65 Russian towns and cities with the total population of 51 million people (which makes up more than the third of the total population of Russia) and 68 foreign towns and cities with the total population of 295 million people, representing almost all continents of the Earth have been used in the article. The main objectives of the study are: parameters analysis of fire services in towns and cities, characterizing their equipment and assessment of some values of integral fire risks in towns and cities under study. Methods. The authors have applied descriptive statistics and correlation analysis methods for assessing relationships between the parameters. Findings. The conducted comparative analysis made it possible to establish that, on average, in all foreign towns and cities, one fire station serves 58 thousand people, and 16 square kilometers of the territory of a town or city, and in Russian towns and cities – 77 thousand people and 25 square kilometers of the territory. There are 1 000 people per one firefighter in foreign towns and cities, and 1 200 residents in the Russian ones. In terms of the number of fire appliances, the situation is as follows: in Russian towns and cities there are 8 thousand people per one fire appliance, and in foreign towns and cities – 23 thousand people. Values assessment of the integral fire risks shows that by the number of fires per 1 000 people the average indicators in Russian towns and cities (1,6) are lower than in the foreign ones (2,1), but the death risk is much worse, the values for the number of deaths per 100 thousand people in Russian towns and cities (2,5) are almost 3 times higher than in foreign ones (0,8). Research application field. The results of the study are of practical value and can be applied by fire service specialists worldwide at organizing and managing fire service activities in towns and cities. The authors consider the possibility of applying the results of the above analytics for justifying and developing regional standards for fire service resources. Conclusions. In foreign towns and cities, the equipment of fire stations and personnel is higher than in Russian ones, and in terms of fire appliances, the leadership belongs to Russian towns and cities. Values assessment of integral fire risks shows that in terms of the number of fires per unit of the population, Russian towns and cities have lower rates than foreign ones, but in terms of death risk in fires, on the contrary, the situation is much worse in Russian towns and cities than in foreign ones.