Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

State Fire Marshal’s Office certifies that department meets requirements

MILL SPRING—After spending more than a year in a non-compliant status, the Mill Spring Fire Department was recently rated and certified by the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal.

“Thank you for the cooperation shown to our fire department rating inspector on his recent visit to your department,” said David Sumney, Supervisor of Inspections with the OSFM on June 23. “It is our intention that these inspections be beneficial to you and your department by identifying items which are required for the department to meet the state’s minimum requirements for a rated and certified department. By meeting the North Carolina Department of Insurance’s requirements for a rated and certified department, you are upgrading your total fire protection for your citizens as well as creating a safer environment for your personnel.”

Sumney said the department does meet the requirements for a rated and certified department.

Last April, the OSFM placed the department on non-compliant status for the chief officer not completing a chief 101 course; the department being low on personnel; the station not having equipment inventory and no maintenance records.

The department took actions to correct the deficiencies. By not correcting the deficiencies, Mill Spring could have gone to a Class 10 rating, which would affect all property insurance premium calculations.

Mill Spring and Sunny View Fire Departments were both placed on a one-year probation in 2015 by the OSFM because both departments failed the state inspection for being low on personnel and failures to meet minimum response requirements. Both departments’ probation was lifted after the year probationary period and corrective actions were taken.