Fire Safety Responsibility
The Department of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) is responsible for fire safety and emergency response on campus and works in conjunction with the Chapel Hill Fire Department. The Fire Safety and Emergency Response section of EHS is responsible for enforcing the NC Building and Fire Codes, investigating fire incidents, developing evacuation procedures, fire safety public education, and maintaining fire alarm and extinguishing systems.
Fire Safety Staff
The Fire Safety section is staffed by 4 FTEs. Information about the positions and their expertise and background is provided below.
University Fire Marshal, Fire Safety and Emergency Response Manager
- 11 years’ experience in fire safety
- Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Safety Engineering Technology
- Hazardous Materials Technician
- Emergency Responder
- Incident Command System (ICS) 100, 200, 300, 400
- American Red Cross CPR and First Aid Instructor
- Fire and Life Safety Educator, Level II
- Technical Rescuer Confined Space
Fire Safety Professional
- 17 years’ experience in fire safety
- Firefighter Level I/II
- Rapid Intervention Team
- Emergency Vehicle Driver
- Driver/Operator Pumps
- Driver/Operator Aerial
- Hazmat Level I
- Rescue Technician VMR
- Technical Rescuer Ropes
- Technical Rescuer Confined Space
- Technical Rescuer Water Rescue
- Scuba Schools International Master Diver
- North Carolina Advanced Emergency Medical Technician
- American Red Cross CPR & First Aid Instructor
- Fire & Life Safety Educator I
- National Incident Management: 100, 200, 300, 700, & 800
- National Fire Academy Leadership I, II & III
- National Fire Academy Incident Safety Officer
- NIMS 363, 400
Fire Safety Professional
- Seven years’ experience in fire and public safety
- Firefighter Level I & II
- Emergency Vehicle Driver
- Hazmat Level I
- OSHA 40 Hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Certification
- Technical Rescuer General and Ropes
- North Carolina Emergency Medical Technician-Basic
- NIMS/ICS IS:-100, 200, 300, 363, 400, 700, & 800
Fire Safety Professional
- Two years’ experience in fire safety
- Bachelor’s Degree in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology
- NIMS 100, 200, 363, 700, 703, 800
Life Safety Technicians
Life safety technicians are necessary to test and maintain fire safety systems. They oversee the operability of active fire safety systems, such as sprinklers, and smoke and heat detectors and alarms, as well as operability and integrity of passive building fire safety systems, such as fire barriers, fire doors, fire dampers, and the design and operability of the site water distribution system.
UNC-Chapel Hill employs a staff of sixteen Life Safety Technicians dedicated to maintaining the fire alarm and fire protection systems on campus. They are on call 24/7 to respond to any concern about fire protection devices. All Life Safety Technicians are appropriately certified by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies for fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems and licensed by the State of North Carolina for inspection and maintenance of water-based fire suppression systems.
Chapel Hill Fire Department
The Chapel Hill Fire Department (CHFD) provides fire protection, some technical rescue, and provide care at the Emergency Medical Technician level for medical services to the Town of Chapel Hill and to UNC-Chapel Hill 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The CHFD operates from five fire stations located strategically across the community and is staffed by 96 employees.
All Chapel Hill firefighters and fire officers are certified to at least North Carolina Level II Firefighters. All Chapel Hill Fire Department personnel are certified for the roles they hold in the organization through training developed and supported by the NC Office of State Fire Marshal. The department is also a partner in the Triangle Region 8 Urban Search and Rescue Team with fire departments from Durham and Raleigh. These heavy rescue-type teams are specially trained and equipped for response to major disasters. The CHFD also operates a fire training center adjacent to Fire Station #4 (101 Weaver Dairy Rd. Ext.) and shares an Orange County Training Center (Eubanks Rd.).