A vital part of fire protection in Kings Mountain is through code enforcement thanks to the Fire Prevention Bureau.

The Fire Prevention Bureau works directly under the direction of Asst. Chief Jamie Black, who has been with the department since 1985, and has served as a fire inspector since 1997.  We enforce code standards through Volume 5 Fire Prevention of the North Carolina Building Code.  Of unique note is the fact that we not only inspect in Cleveland County, but in Gaston County as well, as recent annexations have extended the city limits into Gaston County.

The City of Kings Mountain is 10.5 square miles, but with our 2 mile ETJ we have fire inspection responsibilities for about 27.5 square miles.  There are hundreds of businesses - large and small in this area, not to mention all the churches, schools, day cares and foster homes.  We work in conjunction with the Cleveland County Fire Marshal's Office to inspect in our ETJ. 

Currently we have the following personnel available for inspections

Chief Frank Burns - Level 3 Inspector
Asst. Chief Jamie Black - Level 3 Inspector
Capt. Bobby King - Level 1 Inspector
Capt. John Wright - Level 1 Inspector
Engineer Willard Yarborough, Jr. - Level 1
Firefighter David Ayscue - Level 1 Inspector 
Firefighter Bobby Cash - Level 1 Inspector 
Firefighter Eric Curtis - Level 1 Inspector
Firefighter Jimmy Hensley - Level 1 Inspector
Firefighter Joey Davis - Level 3 Inspector

The Fire Prevention Bureau works in conjunction with the Planning Department and Building Codes Department of Kings Mountain. We are involved in all phases of construction - from blueprint readings to on site tours to inspections long after the buildings are completed.

We also provide various sources of Public Education to our citizens and businesses, including:

*Safety talks at local schools
*Smokehouse demonstrations
*Fire extinguisher training for local groups and businesses
*Safety talks in retirement homes and senior citizen groups
*Sponsoring and supporting NFPA programs
 
Of importance to us is our smoke detector program, which enables us to place smoke detectors in the homes of our senior citizens and needy families. If you know of someone who needs a smoke detector, please contact our office at 704-734-0555.

We welcome the opportunity to speak to your group at any time. Feel free to contact us at 704-734-0555 to schedule a presentation or ask a question. We look forward to serving you!