Frequently Asked Questions

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)

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

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:

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:

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:

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.