News

State Officials Award New District Rating

Posted: 2 years, 7 months ago

On March 28, 2022 the North Carolina Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey announced that the Valdese Fire Department completed their routine inspection and received the listed rating of class 3, with the effective date of July 1, 2022. The inspection, conducted by officials with the Department of Insurance Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM), is required on a regular basis as part of the North Carolina Response Rating System (NCRRS). OSFM completed an evaluation of the fire insurance classification for Valdese Fire Department and advise that the protection class is a 3.  Formally, Valdese Fire Department had a 4 rating. The routine inspections look for proper staffing levels, sufficient equipment and proper maintenance of equipment, communications capabilities and availability of a water source.

The NCRRS rating system ratings range from 1 (best) to 10 (not recognized as a certified fire department by the state). While higher ratings do not necessarily indicate poor service, a lower rating does suggest that a department is overall better equipped to respond to fires in its district. Lower ratings can also significantly lower homeowner’s insurance rates in that fire district. Rates on dwellings (including those insured under Homeowners Policies) are established by the North Carolina Rate Bureau and OSFM will notify them of the rating change. Only 180 of the 1520 fire departments, or 11.8%, in North Carolina have a rating of class 3 or better.

"I'd like to congratulate Chief Stafford for the department's performance and for the hard work of all the department members," said NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. "The citizens in the Town of these districts should rest easy knowing they have a fine group of firefighters protecting them and their property in case of an emergency."

The ratings of the 1520 Fire Districts in North Carolina are as follows: