Fire District Receives New Rating After State Inspection

Fire District Receives New Rating After Inspection

State Officials Award New District Rating

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Jan. 21, 2022

BEAUFORT, N.C. - The Town of Beaufort Fire Department has received new ratings after an inspection by the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal. These new ratings potentially mean reductions in insurance rates for the citizens and businesses that are served by the Beaufort Fire Department both in the municipal district and in the rural district serviced via contract with Carteret County.

While citizens within Beaufort Fire Department’s fire districts could see a decrease in insurance rates, the most significant impact is likely to be in the rural district where some locations moved from a rating of a Class 9S to a Class 4.

“It is with tremendous pride I am able to announce that the Beaufort Fire Department has received their new Insurance Service Organization (ISO) insurance rating,” said Beaufort Fire Chief Tony Ray. 

The Beaufort Fire Department improved their municipal rating from a Class 5 to a Class 4. The Beaufort Fire Department Rural rating improved from Class 5 / 9S to Class 4 / 9E. 

“In short, this now means properties within the Beaufort Fire District that are within 6 miles of one of Beaufort Fire Department’s two fire stations will have an ISO Class 4 rating,” said Chief Ray. “The improvement in the rating could substantially reduce residential insurance rates for many residential properties in the Beaufort Fire District that were previously rated Class 9S and could lead to reduced insurance rates for commercial properties in the municipal and rural district.”

“I would like to thank the staff of the Beaufort Fire Department for all the hard work and efforts to help improve the rating,” said Chief Ray.

“This is excellent news!  I have no doubt that it took a lot of hard work on behalf of the Fire Department as well as Public Utilities,” said Town Manager Todd Clark. “The Board of Commissioners is also to be congratulated because it required sufficient financial commitments to allow the staff to make needed improvements to achieve a lower rating. “

The last rating for the Town of Beaufort occurred in January of 2015 and resulted in a municipal district rating of a 5 and a rural district rating of a 9. 

The new ratings go into effect May 1, 2022. The Town of Beaufort Fire Department spent several months preparing for the inspection. The Beaufort Fire Department received the new rating announcement from the North Carolina Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey on Jan. 19, 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). Among other things, the routine inspections look for proper staffing levels, emergency training, sufficient equipment, proper maintenance of equipment, communications capabilities and availability of a water source.

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

State law requires OSFM officials to inspect departments serving districts of 100,000 people or less, which makes up all but twelve of the state's fire districts.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Johnson, r.johnson@beaufortnc.org