Fire Marshal

The Fire Marshal's Office is located at 890 N.C. 86 N. in the town's Hwy. 86 N. Facility, north of downtown Hillsborough.

Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Hillsborough Fire Marshal's Office to protect our citizens, visitors and their property from the perils of fire, explosions, unsafe construction and other hazardous conditions. Through prevention, education and enforcement of the fire code, the Fire Marshal's Office seeks to reduce or eliminate needless suffering caused by preventable acts. 

The Fire Marshal's Office provides public safety to Hillsborough citizens on several levels: through administration of the Town Code, SARA Title III (Community Right-to-Know Act) and the N.C. Fire Prevention Code. The Town Code, adopted by the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners, provides local standards that the fire marshal enforces, such as control of hazardous materials (Section 12-16) and open burning regulation (Section 12-14). The N.C Fire Prevention Code guides the fire marshal when conducting yearly fire inspections in the town limits and in extraterritorial jurisdictions.
The Fire Marshal's Office also reviews site and building plans and grants certificates of compliance for occupancies meeting the minimum standards in the code. The fire marshal has the authority to issue stop-work orders and provides consultations upon request. It is the intent of the Fire Marshal's Office to provide information and to give guidance in construction before, during and after occupation of a building.
 
Inspection Schedule

• Once a Year -- Occupancies that are hazardous, institutional, high-rise, assembly, multi-family residential and daycares
• Once Every Two Years -- Occupancies that are industrial and private educational
• Once Every Three Years -- Occupancies that are business, mercantile, storage and churches

*Note: Public schools are inspected twice a year.

All occupancies are subject to more frequent inspections. The schedule above is the minimum state-mandated schedule. Occupancies that have a history of repeat violations or have a number of violations cited during the last scheduled inspections will be inspected annually. 

Self-Inspections

The town now offers self-inspections as part of its re-inspections process, which can mean a cost savings for businesses.

• Businesses found in compliance during the regular inspection will receive a certificate of compliance shortly after the inspection and will not need to do anything further.
• Businesses found not in compliance may be eligible for a self-inspection to correct items noted during the initial inspection.

Under the process:

• Eligible businesses will have 30 days from the date of the original inspection to correct the violations.
• Once all items are corrected, the businesses must return a signed and dated copy of the Town of Hillsborough Fire Inspection Report to the fire marshal, certifying that the corrections were made. No additional fee will be charged.
• Businesses that conduct self-inspections will be randomly checked by the fire marshal to ensure proper measures were taken to correct noncompliant items. An additional fee will be assessed if items have not been properly corrected. 

Citizen Complaints

Citizen complaints about code violations are taken seriously. If you see a dangerous situation, you may file a complaint with the Fire Marshal's Office by e-mail or by calling (919) 241-4801 or (919) 241-4803. Violations include locked or blocked exits, illegal burning and overcrowding in public places. Citizens filing a complaint need not reveal their identities.
 

Office Hours

Office hours of the fire marshal's support staff are:

• Wednesday: 1 to 5 p.m.
• Thursday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.