Fire rating improves - Wayne-Wilson News Leader, Fremont, NC

19 July 2007 — Homeowners in the Fremont area should soon be seeing a drop in insurance rates, thanks to the effort of the Fremont Volunteer Fire Department.

During inspections last year, the department earned a rating of seven. The ratings, from 1 to 10, indicate how well a department is prepared to respond to fires. The lower the rating, the better equipped a particular department is.

While a score of seven doesn’t necessarily mean that the department is unprepared, Fire Chief Danny Tillman said that they were not satisfied with the rating. The department decided to be re-evaluated in a few months in the hopes of achieving a higher rating.

Chief Tillman said the department has spent several months working to improve the department, and was reinspected in April. Officials spent three days with Chief Tillman going over department records, water supply, and other matters.

After the re-inspection, the department rating was raised to a six, which Chief Tillman said is a huge improvement.

“That’s a very good rating, especially for an all volunteer department,” he said.

The lower rating means that homeowners insurance ratings could also drop, but how much depends on the homeowners’ insurance company, not local mandates.

Though the department has seen improvements, Chief Tillman said that there is still work to be done.

“That’s not to say we’re going to stand on our laurels and accept a six,” he said.

The department will be re-inspected in five to six years, and he fully intends to have the department even more prepared then.

One thing that affected ratings, he noted, were old fire hydrants in high fire load areas, near schools and churches. Chief Tillman said he will be working with the town to hopefully replace those older hydrants.

He said that he counted about 16 of the old-style hydrants, but the cost of replacement has not yet been determined.
The board members congratulated the department on their hard work to raise the department rating.

“The citizens of Fremont and Northern Wayne County sure appreciate it,” Mayor Devone Jones said.

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