NORTH TRANSYLVANIA
FIRE RESCUE |
What does our insurance rating mean?
2023 was an exciting year for us and for the citizens of our district! Hard work and many volunteer hours went into an effort to improve the Department’s fire protection rating. When the station began in the 90’s it received a rating of 9E, which is what a basic starting fire department typically receives. Over the years the improvements in apparatus, equipment, facilities, training, and membership allowed us to receive a Class 5 rating. In 2018 we completed a rating inspection to improve our rating to 4 / 9E. Then, in 2023 we improved even more to a rating of a 3 / 9E. These ratings are established through an inspections program that is generally on 5 year cycles.
Within the system, ratings range from a high of 1 to a low of 10. Our Class 3 rating, which is an extremely good rating for a rural department, will apply to all properties that are within 5 miles of the fire station. The Class 9E pertains to all properties that are over 5 miles but less than 6 miles from North Transylvania Fire Rescue.
There are no fire hydrants within our fire district so we would not be able to meet the standard requirement of having a hydrant within 1000 feet of the insured property. Instead we rely on tankers, mutual aid from neighboring departments and water points (designated ponds, lakes, creeks) within the district as a source of water for fire suppression. This system was evaluated and tested during the inspection process.
Our newest rating continues to save the homeowners and business owners of our district hundreds of dollars each year on their insurance premiums, and provide a level of comfort knowing we strive for a top-quality level of professional and personal customer service.
Within the system, ratings range from a high of 1 to a low of 10. Our Class 3 rating, which is an extremely good rating for a rural department, will apply to all properties that are within 5 miles of the fire station. The Class 9E pertains to all properties that are over 5 miles but less than 6 miles from North Transylvania Fire Rescue.
There are no fire hydrants within our fire district so we would not be able to meet the standard requirement of having a hydrant within 1000 feet of the insured property. Instead we rely on tankers, mutual aid from neighboring departments and water points (designated ponds, lakes, creeks) within the district as a source of water for fire suppression. This system was evaluated and tested during the inspection process.
Our newest rating continues to save the homeowners and business owners of our district hundreds of dollars each year on their insurance premiums, and provide a level of comfort knowing we strive for a top-quality level of professional and personal customer service.
other factors affecting insurance ratings
TRAINING |
ESTABLISHING SERVICES |
EQUIPMENT |
Firefighter training requirements are established to better prepare us for emergency and non-emergency situations within our response district, and for those districts we provide mutual aid to. We not only learn skills to mitigate fires and complete various types of rescue, but we also learn public education and how prevention practices can best work for the public.
Examples:
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Not every fire district has conventional fire hydrants for supplying water when needed to extinguish a fire. We seek designated water points to establish adequate water flow in the event of a fire. This is a critical component for the safety of our community but also the firefighters who are risking their lives as they serve. If you have what you think may serve as a potential source of water for the fire department to use, please contact us so we may survey the location and complete all the required documentation.
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To be qualified as emergency use equipment, all apparatus, tools, rescue equipment, and personal protective equipment must meet established industry standards. These standards were established long before OSHA and DOL became involved. We reference these to be consistent as well proactive as we replace used and outdated items used in the event of an emergency. All of the items we use are held to the highest safety standards as possible in order maintain a state of readiness. The average cost of a set of the firefighter protective equipment to be worn in the duty of entering a fire or some other hostile environment is currently around $4000.00. As more emphasis is put on health and safety of the equipment such as cancer prevention, it is expected to increase as much as 30-35% in the next 5 years. These are things that do effect all fire departments, no just the municipal organizations. Apparatus today has an average cost of more than $500,000 without all the established tools and equipment to be considered qualified in North Carolina.
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