Inspections and Code Enforcement

The primary goal of fire prevention is to prevent or mitigate the number and severity of fires within any jurisdiction. The Greenville Fire Department utilizes fire prevention inspections, business pre-plan surveys, code enforcement, and education to achieve this goal. When a fire does occur in our jurisdiction, we conduct a fire investigation to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The information from the investigation determines if we need to redirect any of our prevention methods to help reduce the risk of future fires. 


Fire inspections are conducted with one goal in mind: to prevent or mitigate life and property loss from fire. This is done by identifying risk factors in settings where people live, work, and play, such as nursing homes, box stores, or movie theaters. Risk factors range from locked or blocked exits, non-functioning fire sprinklers, use of inappropriate building materials as determined by fire and building codes, and even determining the number of people who can be in the facility at any given time. 


To reduce this risk in our community, we review facility plans to ensure they are complying with current code requirements as adopted by the City of Greenville. This includes fire sprinkler plans, built-in fire protection systems, and any others necessary. 


We also work together with other city departments to ensure that all systems work together as designed. This is achieved by our pre-plan meetings. These are designed to get all relevant players in place for your new or remodeled business project to help eliminate the need for multiple meetings and let you know up-front what is needed for your business to get your certificate of occupancy, with minimal delays. 


If you are a new business wanting to relocate to Greenville or changing ownership of a current business, please contact Community Development at 903-457-3160 to schedule a pre-plan meeting. For more information on this process, please visit the Community Development page. 


The Fire Marshal’s Office conducts fire inspections for:

  • Educational Buildings (examples: local schools, colleges)
  • Healthcare facilities (examples: local hospitals, dialysis centers, dentists’ offices) 
  • High Hazard Facilities (examples: some manufacturing plants)
  • Churches and large gathering assemblies (examples: theaters, auditoriums)
  • Public Buildings: (examples: city library, recreation center)


Also assists fire station crews with pre-plan business surveys. These surveys allow firefighters to get a look inside the business before an emergency to identify any potential hazards, such as fire doors (like a garage door) that may drop during a fire, preventing escape or hindering water delivery. 

  • Other inspections include system tests and acceptance on:
  • Fire Sprinkler Systems
  • Fire Alarm Systems
  • Kitchen Suppression Systems
  • Underground Fire Lines
  • Pyrotechnic/Special Effects Material
  • Hazardous Material Storage
  • Foster Home Inspections