ASHEBORO N.C. – Lower insurance rates will soon be coming to residents in the Asheboro Fire/Rescue district after the department received its new ISO rating from the NC Department of Insurance.
ISO ratings are set by the NC Department of Insurance every five years after an inspection looking at everything from staffing, training, equipment, maintenance, and water supply to emergency communications.
The ISO ratings are a measure of how well a department can respond to fires and emergencies and range from one (the highest) to ten (not recognized as a certified fire department by the state). Higher ISO ratings significantly lower the insurance rates for homeowners who live in the fire district.
In 2017 the Asheboro Fire Department was rated as ISO 3. The department was re-inspected in October of 2022. At an award ceremony held at Station 1 on March 9th, 2023, officials from the Department of Insurance and the Office of the State Fire Marshall presented the Asheboro Fire/Rescue Department with their new rating of ISO 1.
In North Carolina, only 1.8% (or 22) of the approximately 1,200 fire departments are rated as ISO 1.
“I’d like to congratulate Chief Summers for the department’s performance and for the hard work of all the department’s members,” said Commissioner Casey. “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 the case of an emergency.”
The new rating is the culmination of years of work by the Asheboro Fire/Rescue Department which includes purchasing new equipment, taking specialized training, and becoming rescue certified.
“We are so proud of what you guys do for our community, having been recently certified as Rescue and now to achieve an ISO rating of one…congratulations, we’re proud of you,” said Asheboro Mayor David Smith.