Neither the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners nor the Wake Forest Planning Board will hold meetings – a work session for the town board, a regular work session for the planning board – next week on July 2. There was little on either agenda. They will be back to work on August 6.
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The Northern Wake Fire Department was formed in 2017 when Bayleaf Volunteer Fire Department and Stony Hill Rural Fire Department agreed to merge, forming a department with 50 firefighters, 189 team members and five stations that covers 70 square miles in northwestern Wake County. It protects 30,340 residents, 10,689 residential units and over $6.3 billion in real property.
One of the department’s first goals was to lower the fire rating and assure lower insurance costs for businesses in its service area. Recently, after inspections by the Office of the State Fire Marshall, the rating was improved from a 5 to a 3.
| “This is an example of the dedication to outstanding service exemplified by members of the Northern Wake Fire Department, and I am proud of their accomplishment,” said Nicholas Campasano, director of Wake County Fire Services. “These firefighters are well prepared to protect our residents in the event of an emergency.”
The North Carolina Response Rating System’s scale ranges from one (highest) to 10 (not recognized as a certified fire department by the state). While lower ratings do not necessarily indicate poor service, a higher rating does suggest that a department is overall better equipped to respond to fires—and therefore can result in lower insurance rates in that district. This new rating will only affect insurance premiums for commercial customers. Residential insurance reductions stop once the ratings reach a 6. Insurance companies are notified of departments’ ratings throughout the year, and they will pass on the savings to customers. The inspection, which is required by the state on a regular basis, looks for proper staffing levels, sufficient equipment, proper maintenance of equipment, communications capabilities and availability of a water source. State law requires OSFM officials to inspect departments serving districts of 100,000 people or fewer. Northern Wake joins three other Wake County fire departments with ratings of 3. Wendell, Fairview and Durham Highway have also earned this rating. The new rating goes into effect Sept. 1, 2019.
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One Response
What is the rating for the Wake Forest FD please?