The 65th Annual North Carolina Fire Prevention School will be held March 16 - 20, 2026 at the Courtyard by Marriott, Carolina Beach.   

The Fire Prevention School’s philosophy has always been to offer competency-based instruction, whereby, the student is exposed to a broad base of material going beyond the requirements of the fire code. With this in mind, students should not be subjected to a duplication of the certification classes but will receive more in-depth study on related topics. 

Monday 3/16

• School check-in begins at 11:00 am in the lobby of the Courtyard Carolina Beach Oceanfront located at 100 Charlotte Avenue, Carolina Beach, North Carolina 28428. 
• Fire Prevention School begins at 12:30 p.m. and continues until 5:00 p.m. 
• The afternoon session will cover NFPA Topics and Risk to Resilience.
• This session is part of the Fire Prevention School and attendance is required to receive CE hours.

 Tuesday 3/17 - Thursday 3/19

• All classes will begin at 8:00 a.m. where attendance in all scheduled classes is required for course credit.
• Lunch will be provided each day (Tuesday - Thursday) as part of the school registration.
• There will be a Cook-out at the Carolina Beach Fire Department Thursday night beginning at 6:00pm.

Friday 3/20

• The final class for Fire Prevention School will begin at 8:00 a.m. and continues until 11:30 a.m. 
• The topic of the morning will be the Fatal Construction Fire in Charlotte.
• This final session is part of the Fire Prevention School and attendance is required to receive CE hours.

CODE RESOURCES

The 2024 NC Fire Code will be the primary reference code along with references to the 2024 NC Building Code and the NC Administrative Code. The code books will not be available at the school. Please contact the NC Office of State Fire Marshal, Engineering Division, at telephone (919)-647-0001 for information on ordering a code book. Class participants will need to bring or have digital access to these code references. 

All available class presentations will be made accessible for download following the school.

Registration into the NC Fire Prevention School is a two-step process

Step 1 (Registration into the NC Fire Prevention School)

• Select a Class option
• Select Thursday night cook-out options
• Choose T-shirt size
• Complete the $200.00 Fire Prevention School registration fee payment.

If you have any questions concerning the school or registration into the NC Fire Prevention School, contact Braxton Tanner at 919-856-5519 or [email protected] 

Step 2 (Registration for Cape Fear Community College) 

Following the completion of Step 1 (below), there will be a link provided on the Registration Confirmation email. You will follow that link to complete the Cape Fear Community College portion of the registration*. 

*You must be a member of a NC fire/rescue department or a municipal, county, or state fire marshal’s office as identified by the NC Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to be eligible for the college registration fee waiver. The Community College Occupational Registration fee of $125.00 is applicable for non-fire service students. This includes a municipal or county inspections department. This $125.00 fee must be paid directly to Cape Fear Community College during the college's online registration process. 

If you have any questions concerning the community college registration OR your eligibility college fee waiver, contact Chris Nelson at 910-362-7711.

Four courses make up the North Carolina Fire Prevention School including Basic (General), Intermediate (General/Technical), Advanced (Advanced/Technical). Students should plan to take the three courses in succession regardless of their professional position/title within their jurisdiction. A Graduate class is offered for those who complete the three main courses.

CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

In accordance with the NC Code Officials Qualification Board* (Q-Board), continuing education credits will be earned for Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Graduate Courses of the Fire Prevention School. 

*CE credits will not be available for completing the same course more than once in 3 years.

The options below will assist us in determining an accurate count for food and supplies. One dinner ticket is included in the registration cost. Additional dinner tickets will be available for $25.00 each at the school.

As part of your registration into the 65th Annual North Carolina Fire Prevention School, everyone will receive a school t-shirt. 

Register prior to February 1, 2026 to receive a shirt in your size. 

Students are responsible for their own reservations and should note during their hotel registration process that they are attending the Fire Prevention School or simply use the "Book Online" button below. 

The Courtyard by Marriott, Carolina Beach will be the hosting hotel.

Courtyard Marriott Carolina Beach 100 Charlotte Ave. Carolina Beach, NC 28428 1-800-321-2211 or 910-458-2030 Special Rate: $127.00/night + tax

Clicking the "Book Online" button will open another browser tab. Note: A link for hotel reservations will also be on the confirmation email.

Wayne Fire Sprinkler

North Carolina Fire Marshal's Association

NC Office of State Fire Marshal

Carolina Beach Fire Department

LIV - Life Safety Inspections Vault

Coca-Cola Consolidated

Pierson Wireless

The Compliance Engine

Eagle Fire Protection

Lance Inc.

Still have Questions?

Contact the Fire Prevention School Coordinator, Braxton Tanner at (919) 856-5519 or by email [email protected]