(A) Title. This chapter shall be known as the Fire Prevention and Fire Protection Chapter of Chatham County, North Carolina, and may be cited as that and referred to herein as "the code."
(B) Intent of the code.
(1) It is the intent of the code to prescribe regulations consistent with nationally recognized good practice for the safeguarding of life and property within the jurisdiction of the county from the hazards of fire and explosion arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials, devices and from the use or occupancy of buildings and premises.
(2) The code shall not be construed to hold the county responsible for any damage to persons or property by reason of the inspection or re-inspection authorized herein or failure to inspect or re-inspect or the permits issued or denied as herein provided or by reason of the approval or disapproval of any equipment authorized herein.
(C) Mission and purpose. The mission of the County Fire Marshal's Office is to reduce and possibly eliminate the unnecessary loss of lives and property due to avoidable fires within the county. To accomplish this, the County Fire Marshal's Office shall provide effective fire prevention education, fire inspection and code enforcement, fire investigation assistance, arson mitigation, expedient concern/complaint response, and act as a liaison to the fire departments within the county.
(Ord. passed - -2010; Ord. passed 11-19-2012)
Statutory references:
Authority to levy taxes to provide fire protection services and fire prevention programs, see G.S. § 153A-149(c)(11), G.S. § 143-138(b); local code.
County Fire Protection (General), see G.S. §§ 153A-233 through 153A-235