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1. Does the City of Kinston have a burning ordinance?

Yes. The City has a burning ordinance within the City of Kinston Municipal Code of City Ordinances. The burning ordinance was reimplemented back into the ordinance code May 19, 2021. Part II Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10 Fire Prevention and Protection, Article III Code, Section 10-106 Burning Prohibited.  Violations of this ordinance are explained under Part II Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10 Fire Prevention and Protection, Article 1 In General, Section 10-12 Violations Declared Unlawful; Penalties

Sec. 10-106. - Burning prohibited

• a)  Except as allowed herein, no person shall burn or cause to be burned any trash, refuse, shavings, paper, leaves, litter, or other material of any kind outside any house, on or in any street, sidewalk, alley, lot or yard, or public rights of way. This prohibition shall not apply to (1) the use of portable or manufactured outdoor grills or fireplaces used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and for the purposes of outdoor cooking or for human warmth and comfort or (2) open burning that has been pre-approved in writing by the City’s designated fire official.
• b)  Violations of this section shall be subject to criminal and/or civil penalties as set forth in this Chapter.

Sec. 10-12. - Violations declared unlawful; penalties.

• (a)
• It shall be unlawful for any person to violate this chapter, to permit or maintain such a violation, to refuse to obey any provision of this chapter, or to fail or refuse to comply with any such provision or regulation except as variation may be allowed by the action of the fire official in writing. Proof of such unlawful act or failure shall be deemed prima facie evidence that such act is that of the owner or other person in control of the premises. Prosecution or lack thereof of either the owner, occupant, or the person in charge shall not be deemed to relieve any of the others.
• (b)
• Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of the code adopted in section 10-101; violate or fail to comply with any order made thereunder; build in violation of any details, statements, specifications, or plans submitted or approved thereunder; operate not in accordance with the provisions of any certificate, permit, or approval issued thereunder, and from which no appeal has been taken; or fail to comply with such an order as affirmed or modified by the fire official or by a court of competent jurisdiction within the time fixed by this chapter; shall severally for each and every violation and noncompliance, respectively, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment for not less than thirty (30) days and not more than sixty (60) days or by both such fines and imprisonment. The imposition of a penalty for any violation shall not excuse the violation nor shall the violation be permitted to continue. All such persons shall be required to correct or remedy such violations or defects within a reasonable time, and when not otherwise specified, the application of the above penalty shall not be held to prevent the enforced removal of prohibited conditions and the costs thereof assessed against the property in violation as a lien against the property.
• (Code 1961, § 11-3; Ord. No. 79-86, §§ 2, 15(3), 11-17-86; Ord. No. 22-2001, 3-19-01; Ord. No. 2-2005, § 1, 1-3-05; Ord. No. 2012-45, Exh., 11-19-12)

2. How can I become a Kinston Firefighter?

You must be at least 19 years old to be a Firefighter for the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue.

You must have the following to become a Kinston Firefighter:

High School Diploma, High School Equivalency, or have your GED

Valid North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicle Operators License (NCOL) with the ability to obtain a Class B NCOL within the first year of employment.

A fully completed on-line application filed with the City of Kinston Human Resources
(Click on Web Address below to access an application, create an account and sign in)

Ability to complete and Pass the Fitness Entry Aptitude Test (FEAT)

Pass the Interview Process of the Administration of the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue

A Good Clear Background Check from your most recent County/City of Residence
(excluding minor motor vehicle infractions)

Kinston On-Line Application

3. Where is the Kinston Department of Fire and Rescue Fire Stations located?

Kinston Fire Station 1 (Headquarters) is located at 401 E Vernon Avenue, Kinston directly south from the Historic Grainger Stadium. Phone Number: 252-939-3164 Kinston Fire Station 2 is located at 3428 Carey Road at the end of the paved road south from First Baptist Church located at the intersection of Carey Road and Rouse Road. Phone Number: 252-939-3235 Kinston Fire Station 3 is located at 1247 Hill Farm Road northwest from Kinston Pointe Shopping Center/Kinston Walmart. Phone Number: 252-939-3236

Headquarters

4. What Services does the Kinston Department of Fire and Rescue provide to the Community?

First and Foremost! Protection of Life/Health, Community Safety, and Property Conservation
Fire Smoke Detector Installation/Battery Replacement/Smoke Detector Maintenance
Private Residence Home Safety Check Inspections
Business Inspections
Fire Prevention Education/Information
Kinston Fire & Rescue Explorer Post Program for Youth in Middle School to College
Fire Statistics/Community Interactions
Permits

Chapter 10 Fire Prevention and Protection

5. How do you schedule a Fire Inspection for a Business, find proper Required Operational Permits of Fire Code, request for a Fire Inspection/Safety Check for a Group Home, Private Home Safety Check?

To schedule for a Fire Inspection for a Local City Business, or inquire about a Required Operational Permit of Fire Code, contact Administration Commander E. L. Davis at Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue, Office Phone: 252-526-2712, Email: ernie.davis@ci.kinston.nc.us

To schedule for a Fire Inspection for a Group Home, contact Administration Assistant Ms. Donna Kennedy at Kinston Inspections Division, Office Phone: 252-939-4021, Email: donna.kennedy@ci.kinston.nc.us

To schedule for a Fire Safety Check for a private Residence within the City of Kinston, contact Administration Captain W. J. Barss at Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue, Office Phone: 252-526-2713, Email: william.barss@ci.kinston.nc.us,

or fill out the proper on-line request form located at the following link listed below:

Requests/Required Operational Permits of Fire Code

6. How do you schedule an appointment to install, replace, or maintain the fire smoke detectors for my residence?

To schedule for a Fire Safety Check/Smoke Detector install, replacement, or maintenance for a private Residence within the City of Kinston, contact Administration Captain W. J. Barss at Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue, Office Phone: 252-526-2713, Email: william.barss@ci.kinston.nc.us,

or fill out the proper on-line request form located at the following link listed below:

Smoke Detector Request

7. How do you schedule a request for the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue to either come and participate in a Community Event, Give a Fire Safety Class/Presentation, or schedule a Fire Station Tour?

To schedule for the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue to either come and participate in a Community Event, Give a Fire Safety Class/Presentation, or schedule a Fire Station Tour within the City of Kinston, contact Administration Captain W. J. Barss at Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue, Office Phone: 252-526-2713, Email: william.barss@ci.kinston.nc.us,

or fill out the proper on-line request form located at the following link listed below:

Request for Public Education/Community Interaction

8. Does the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue have a Child Safety Seat Check/Installation Program and how do you schedule for a safety check/installation?

Yes there are certain Firefighters trained in Child Safety Seat Installation/Safety Inspection. It is preferred to pre-schedule an inspection/installation session by contacting Administration Captain W. J. Barss at Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue, Office Phone: 252-526-2713, Email: william.barss@ci.kinston.nc.us, however in case by case basis you can stop by Kinston Fire Station 1 (Headquarters) and check to see if an inspector is available.

If there is no inspector available the Kinston Safe Kids or Lenoir County Department of Social Services provides these amenities and would be able to assist the public. Contact the Kinston Safe Kids Program, located at 1465 Hwy 258 North, Kinston North Carolina 28504, by calling 252-939-1200 ext. 228,

http://www.partnership4children.com/programs/safe-kids-eastern-carolina/

or

Contact Ms. Velvet Tyndall with the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension, located at the Kinston Professional Building, 327 N Queen Street (Temporary Accommodations due to Flood), Kinston, North Carolina 28501, 252-522-8019. (Appointment Necessary prior to arrival). There is a Permanent Checking Station that is held the first Tuesday of Each Month at the Farmer's Market (Temporary Location) N Herritage Street, Kinston, North Carolina.

http://www.buckleupnc.org/

or fill out the proper on-line request form located at the following link listed below:

Request for Child Safety Seat Inspection

9. Does the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue have a Ride-Along Program and how can you participate in the program?

Yes the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue has a Ride-Along Program that allows a citizen with the interest of learning an insight into how our Fire Department Operates within a 24 hour daily operation, can request a day on any one of our apparatus, upon approval from the Shift Company Captain, Shift Battalion Chief/Deputy Fire Chief and the ultimate approval of the Fire Chief. The Civilian requesting the Ride-Along must be at least 18 years old* to qualify for the 8 hour program, can only request periodically (once a month) with three months maximum a year, and must be able to pass a local criminal background inquiry.  For more information feel free to contact Administration Captain W. J. Barss at Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue, Office Phone: 252-526-2713, Email: william.barss@ci.kinston.nc.us, or fill out the proper on-line request form located at the following link listed below:

10. Do the Firefighters actually stay at the Fire Stations?

The Kinston Department of Fire and Rescue is a Fully Paid Organization. The Firefighters work in three twenty-four hour shifts, three hundred sixty-five days a year. The Firefighters have an entire area devoted to sleeping quarters. The individual bunk room, which consists of three separate beds (one for each Firefighter) and lockers to stow the Firefighters personal effects while at the Station, are provided for each shift. There is a shower facility, an area called the Day Room for the Firefighters to rest and relax (when and if times allows), and the infamous Firefighters Kitchen area where meals are prepared.

11. Do the Firefighters slide down the Fire Poles?

The Fire Stations here in the City of Kinston are now all one story buildings, as most Fire Stations across the country are becoming, and are not requiring a fire pole, mostly due to safety reasons, and cost effectiveness.

The old Fire Station 1, however had to brass poles, where the firefighters would slide down from the second floor Training Room and Bunk Room. That particular Fire Station has since been re-renovated and turned over to the Kinston Police Department. The poles were taken out of the old Fire Station in 2008 thus ending an era of tradition and right-of-passage.

We display a portion of one of the Ol' Brass Slide Poles in our waiting area of Headquarters to remind us of a Golden Age of our history.

12. Do the Firefighters just sit around the station all day until a call comes out?

The Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue are very active within the daily activities of our times of tours of duty. The Firefighters are required to hold a certain amount of regimental training hours from the State of North Carolina to hold our specific Certifications within our profession. Our Department goes above and beyond to ensure the safety of our Firefighters and the Citizens of Kinston, which occupy almost the entire work day of the shifts. Then there is all of the top of the line equipment that we pride ourselves on using to ensure that they are all in tip top proper working order, as well as maintaining clean, properly organized, Fire Stations for peek moral of our Firefighters and Citizens to take Pride in.

The Firefighters must also conduct Fire Inspections within all of the local businesses throughout the city, as well as make Fire Safety Pre-plans of those businesses to ensure the city is safe and the Firefighters have a good idea of what the businesses look like from the inside and know what hazards they may face if they were called to a Fire/Rescue Scene. The Firefighters are also tasked with ensuring the Public and Citizens of Kinston have Public Education in Fire Prevention and pride ourselves in Community Interaction by giving Fire Station Tours and Truck Static Displays, Seminars, and Public Fire Prevention Classes/Meetings during their shift.

This occurs on each shift six of the seven days to the week, three hundred sixty-five days a year. The Firefighters are required to arrive fifteen minutes prior to their assigned shift, and get a briefing of the activities and orders from the day before, then off they go at eight o'clock sharp beginning with checking the trucks and equipment on the front-line Apparatus, then right into the activities and orders planned for that particular shift. They may even have to work through lunch, and/or dinner in some cases before they may be able to see the inside of the station late into the evening.

God rested on the seventh day, Sundays are usually a little slower than the rest of the week for the Firefighters, however it is en-stilled in the them to continue to strive for Greatness and work on their own projects for the common good of the Organization and Career.

On top of all of this of course is the Number One Reason we are all here and that is to answer the various Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Calls that come to us and keeping the Citizens Safe at all costs, holding to our

Mission Statement:

To provide, with compassion, the highest level of professional service to the customers we serve through Pride, Proficiency & Integrity.

13. How do you file a Citizens Complaint?

In order to file a Citizens Concern/Complaint against the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue, and/or any of its Employees, Read the Citizens Complaint Process Document located at the link below under the Citizen Concern Section Tab within this page. The Citizen Complaint Process Form is how the Process is to be proceeded if there is a concern that needs to be addressed by the Fire Administration.

The Citizen Complaint Form is on On-Line Fill-able Form also located at the link below under the Citizen Concerns Section Tab within this page. After fully reading and understanding the Citizen Complaint Process, complete the form and submit and print a copy for your records.

Citizen Concerns Section