ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Ohio businesses are invited to a free workshop about the Ohio Fire Code from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday.

The Community Improvement Corp. of Belmont County will host this Small Business Development Center event at 133 Woodrow Ave. in St. Clairsville.

Portions of the 2017 Ohio Fire Code have been updated and the changes became effective Jan. 5. Through this workshop, businesses will be updated on the current codes and gain insight into what inspectors look for and why during inspections. The goal is for businesses to keep employees and customers safe. The workshop will also include a tour and discussions regarding fire safety followed by a question and answer period.

Lt. Curtis Kyer of the Cumberland Trail Fire District No. 4 will be the workshop presenter. Kyer started his career in the Morristown Volunteer Fire Department in 1995 and has been full-time at Cumberland Trail for 21 years. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2012. He is also a fire instructor and heads the Fire Prevention Program for the district ever year in October for Fire Prevention Week.

“We are thankful to Lt. Kyer and Chief Tim Hall of the Cumberland Trail Fire District No. 4 for partnering with us on such an important educational event for Ohio businesses,” said Crystal Lorimor, CIC executive director. “He brings passion to this topic and helps you understand the reasoning behind some of the Fire Code regulations. I’m excited for him to share his knowledge with others.”

Cumberland Trail Fire District No. 4 was created in 1989 by the city of St. Clairsville and Richland Township. The district covers 52 square miles and serves a population of about 15,000.

The fire district operates out of two stations: The main station is located in the city of St. Clairsville at 142 S. Marietta St., and the satellite station is located at 68389 Stewart Drive in Richland Township. It is a full-time fire department supplemented by part-time staffing. It has 22 full-time employees and 23 part-time employees, four ambulances, three fire engines, one ladder truck, one brush truck, one boat, one UTV, a rope rescue trailer and one utility vehicle to respond to emergencies. Last year the fire district responded to 3,118 calls. Of that number, 2,269 were emergency medical calls, 842 were motor vehicle crashes or fire related emergencies and 7 were good intent calls (welfare checks).

The CIC is a nonprofit that has been dedicated to economic development since 1962 when it was started by Belmont County business professionals. It partners with other organizations across the region and state to bring resources to Belmont County businesses.

To register for this event, call or email Trenia Twyman at 740-597-1460 or twyman@ohio.edu.

For more information about this workshop or future workshops, please follow Community Improvement Corporation of Belmont County on Facebook or check out the calendar of events at belmontcic.com.