Statesville Fire Department Receives Prestigious Insurance Rating

State Officials Award New District Rating

Statesville, North Carolina: North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey made a special appearance at the Statesville City Council meeting on Monday, January 9 to announce that the Statesville Fire Department has received an ISO Class 1 insurance rating, effective April 1, 2023.  Causey was joined by Davie Summey, Division Chief of Ratings and Inspections, and Debra Turbeville, Regional Director.  “I’d like to congratulate Chief Weatherman for the department’s performance and for the hard work of all the department members,” said Commissioner Causey.  “The citizens in the town of these districts should rest easy knowing that they have a fine group of firefighters protecting them and their property in case of an emergency.  The Statesville Fire Department has achieved something that very few fire departments in North Carolina or across the United States are able to achieve.  That is the highest, the pinnacle of any fire department, ISO class rating.  Less than half of one percent ever achieve this.”

The Department of Insurance Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) conducted an inspection of the Statesville Fire Department in August 2022.  An inspection 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, sufficient equipment, proper maintenance of equipment, communications capabilities, community risk reduction, station location, and availability of a water source.  The NCRRS rating system ranges from one (highest) to 10 (not recognized as a certified fire department by the state), with most rural departments falling into the 9S category.  While lower ratings do no necessarily indicate poor service, a higher rating does suggest that a department is overall better equipped to respond to fires in its district.  Higher ratings can also significantly lower homeowners’ insurance rates in that fire district.  State law requires OSFM officials to inspect departments serving districts of 100,000 people or less, which makes up all twelve of the state’s fire districts.

 “This is a huge accomplishment for the department and the citizens of Statesville,” said Statesville Fire Chief Andy Weatherman.  “The accreditation performance indicators being ISO based played a large part in us receiving this designation.  We are proud to join 89 other agencies that are both accredited by the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) and ISO Class 1 out of a total 301 CPSE accredited agencies nationwide.”  This elite rating ensures that commercial property owners in Statesville will receive the lowest premium possible on this area of insurance, with an average savings of 8.5% 

“We are one of eight, and the smallest city in North Carolina, that will have an ISO 1 rating and CPSE accreditation,” stated Mayor Costi Kutteh.  “This is just another amazing accomplishment by one of our elite departments in the City of Statesville!”

About the City of Statesville
The City of Statesville is truly a diverse community that welcomes new people, new voices and ideas, new industry, and business. We have already made significant investments in our downtown amenities, our business sector, our schools, our infrastructure, and more is on the horizon. We are creating a dynamic future for ourselves as we build on our successful history and the positive energy we experience today, all the while incorporating the values and quality of life that we cherish. To learn more visit www.statesvillenc.net.

Photo (from left to right):  Davie Summey, Mike Causey, and Andy Weatherman