Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey on Monday recognized Mooresville Fire-Rescue for having earned the Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1 public protection rating—the highest possible inspections rating for fire departments.
"This is a big deal," said Commissioner Causey. "Less than 1% of all the fire departments in the country achieve a Class 1 Rating. Now Mooresville Fire and Rescue is right there at the top."
Each fire department is assigned a rating from 1 to 10 (with Class 1 as the highest level) based on an inspection of its operations, water supply and distribution, emergency communications and efforts to prevent and reduce fire risk. Nationally, only 132 of almost 49,000 communities have reached the Class 1 rating; in North Carolina, there are currently six.
Big city fire departments are inspected by a different rating service. The Class 1 rating system achieved by Mooresville Fire and Rescue is the first Class 1 rating ever given by the Office of State Fire Marshal since it began doing the rating inspections in 2001.
"I commend Mooresville Fire and Rescue for their stellar commitment to protecting lives and property," said Causey. "Because of that commitment, residents, business owners and visitors in their communities can count on superior fire service and reduced fire losses."
Public protection ratings are also a factor in fire insurance premiums. Causey noted that residents and business owners in a community with a high fire department rating often enjoy lower insurance premiums than those in communities with lower ratings.