Mount Olive FD earns improved state rating
By Steve Herring
Published in News on April 29, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Well-trained volunteers are vital to the rating, said Fire Chief Greg Wiggins, right. From left are firefighters Nathan Dunne, Hunter Sasser, Harold Thompson, Jordan Hansen and Wiggins.
MOUNT OLIVE -- Many factors play into a fire department's state rating, but for Mount Olive Fire Chief Greg Wiggins it is the firefighters who make the difference.
The Mount Olive Fire District recently completed its routine inspection and received a rating of 4, which is effective Saturday, Aug. 1. It had been rated 5.
The Waylin Fire District for the rural area surrounding Mount Olive that the department serves received a rating of 4/9E, which is effective the same date.
The N.C. Response Rating System for departments ranges from 1 (the highest) to 10 (not recognized as certified fire department by the state.
Most rural departments are 9S, Wiggins said.
"The 4 is the best we have ever had," Wiggins said. "We do have a few people that (4/9 rating) affects in outlying areas, but the county water system on the Wayne County side and the Duplin County side are making more improvements, and there are more hydrants in the area than there have ever been. But we could use a few more.
"Honestly not many people are affected by it (4/9E). Those who are not within 1,000 feet will have a 9 unfortunately. That hasn't changed. Most insurance companies recognize down to a 6 for homeowners. I don't know why they won't give the full down to a 4 or a 5, but there is no difference in premiums when you get down to a 6."
Commercial operations stand to see an improvement in what they pay in insurance premiums, he said. The could still be some savings to homeowners as well, he said.
"It (insurance company) is still going to look favorable on them (homeowners) who live in a fire district that has a 4," Wiggins said. "The ones who will see the greatest benefit will be the commercial.
"That has got to be an economic driver for us here. When you have businesses looking to come into the industrial park, naturally it is better to have a fire department that has a better class rating. It will save them on their premiums. In turn if it saves them money they can pass it on to their customers."
Savings would be determined on a case-by-case basis, he said.
When somebody is a 9 or 8 it doesn't necessary mean that they are a bad fire department, he said.
"But what it recognizes when you are down to 5, 4 and right on down you are certainly better equipped and have the equipment to do the job, Wiggins said. "The last time we were inspected we didn't have a ladder truck so we got more points for having that ladder truck here.
"We currently have more certified firefighters on our roster than we have ever had. At present we have 12 who are certified firefighter 1 and 2 and we have about that many who are actively working on their certification. We have 12 more who are at various levels of that certification."
At Wiggins' recommendation, town commissioners last year implemented an incentive program to encourage firefighters take more training and to improve response time and the number of firefighters who respond.
"It isn't a lot of money, but I think it is paying dividends," he said. "A big part of this rating is training. Volunteers picked up their response. Of course we have always had good equipment. The town has provided equipment for us. It is a combination of a lot of things.
"The volunteers have certainly done their part. The town has provided the equipment needed."
The last time the department was rated the town operated its own 911 system. It has since been absorbed into a countywide system. That added points as well, he said.
"It is a combination of a lot of things, but the bottom line is we are still operating with a volunteer workforce as far as firefighters and they really are doing the job," he said.
Some of the items that are rating are not controlled by the local department, such as the response from mutual aid stations.
The routine inspection looks for proper staffing level, sufficient equipment, proper maintenance of equipment, communications capabilities and availability of a water source.
The department undergoes what is called a "9S inspection" every five years. It is a basic inspection for what is required to be a basic fire department, he said
The much larger one could be every 10 years or a department can request to have one done sooner, he said.
Mount Olive had not had a full survey since the 1990s, Wiggins said. The department was ready for the survey three-month process that started Jan. 20.
"We were excited to hear about it," Wiggins said. "It is an improvement for us and is certainly a testament what the town has provided as far as equipment and as far as what the volunteers are doing in training and answering calls."