If all other means are exhausted, the fire prevention bureau can issue a citation to court, similar to a speeding ticket. The fire prevention division is also responsible for fire cause determination. In order to prevent more fires, it is very important to find out what the cause of each and every fire is. In many cases fires are caused by human error, in other cases fires are intentionally set. When fires are intentionally set, the fire prevention bureau works with other agencies to build a criminal case for arson.
Plans review is another aspect of fire prevention.
A construction project begins with a site plan. During the site plan phase, the fire department makes sure there is adequate access for fire apparatus, and that adequate water is available to fight a fire or to support any required safety systems. Once a plan progresses past the site phase the fire department reviews the floor plan , the construction, the egress, the lighting, and the fire protection systems to make sure the building is in compliance with the fire codes. The last and most important job of fire prevention is public fire education. The crown jewel of the Durham Fire Department is the Learn Not to Burn program.