Community Risk Reduction

Community Risk Reduction focus on all aspects of life safety. Their primary objective is to reduce preventable deaths, injuries, and property loss through extensive public education programs, fire inspections of commercial properties, and enforcement of the adopted fire codes.

Fire Inspections

Community Risk Reduction educates building owners and tenants while conducting fire safety inspections. This promotes voluntary compliance and limits the number of repeat violations in the future.

Fire inspectors conduct fire safety inspections of new and existing commercial properties each year, a large number requiring at least one follow-up inspection to ensure compliance. The fire inspectors have a wide range of other responsibilities in addition to the annual fire safety inspections.

The fire inspectors are challenged to keep pace with continued growth and the rise in activity for their areas of responsibility. The inspectors must fulfill daily obligations to external customers and support department members while simultaneously investing sufficient time to meet long-term goals.

Fire & Life Safety Education

The Fire & Life Safety Educator, along with other Fire Rescue personnel, delivers various presentations to the community throughout the year.

Each program is developed to arm the community with knowledge to prevent situations that threaten life safety. The programs also address how to manage emergency situations they may face.

Learn More About Our Programs

Fire Investigation

Fire Rescue is required by State law to investigate all fires in order to determine the area the fire started and the potential cause.

Fire Rescue's fire investigation team is comprised of members of the Community Risk Reduction and Fire Rescue line personnel. The unit is supervised by the Fire Marshal and coordinates with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office on any fire where the cause of the fire is not considered to be accidental.

Determining the cause and origin of a fire may be as straightforward as a resident reporting that they left a pot on the stove. But sometimes a fire can require a considerable amount of investigation due to significant damage or a hidden cause. Using proper investigation techniques, preserving the evidence, and photographing the fire scene are all necessary steps to ensure investigations are thorough and professionally completed. Information from the fire investigations is used to identify trends and programs that can reduce the potential for future fires.