Halls Fire and Rescue recently earned a higher rating, which is expected to lower insurance rates for homeowners.

Halls Fire and Rescue recently earned a higher rating, which is expected to lower insurance rates for homeowners.

<p>Royal</p>

Royal

After continuous work to make their coverage area safer for residents, members of Halls Fire and Rescue earned a higher district rating for their dedication.

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey recently announced that the department in the northern area of Sampson County showed improvements after a routine inspection was completed. It is conducted by officials with the Department of Insurance Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and is required for the North Carolina Response Rating System (NCRRS). The rating also impacts property insurance rates and saves homeowners money.

“I feel very good,” Halls Chief Brian Royal said. “We’re all strictly volunteer firemen and we‘ve got some dedicated personnel that will come out and train. We have to keep a minimum of 36 hours of training a year for the Department of Insurance. So they’re basically doing this on their own time.”

In a news release, Causey congratulated Royal for the department’s performance and for the hard work of all department members.

“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 case of an emergency,” Causey said.

Halls Fire and Rescue has been providing service for more than 60 years. To service residents, members operate three fire engines, tanker, brush truck, rescue truck and a ladder truck. Equipment and vehicles are maintained by more than 30 volunteer members.

Effective June 1, the Halls District will have a 5 rating. It was previously a 6. Evaluations take place every five years for stations. The NCRRS rating system ranges from 1 (highest) to 10 (not recognized as a certified fire department by the state). According to officials, lower ratings do not necessarily indicate poor service, but a higher rating does suggest that a department is overall better equipped to respond to fires in its district.

In the Halls District, the rating will be a 5/9E in June. Residents who live 5 miles away from the fire station may have a homeowners insurance at the five level. Anything beyond five miles will be classified as level 9. Some of the major thoroughfares in the district are Hobbton Highway, Keener Road, and Honrine Road.

To lower the rating, the department had to contact the Department of Insurance for a process involving valuation of documents, checking equipment, and water availability for emergency situations. State law requires OSFM officials to inspect departments serving districts of 100,000 people or less, which makes up all but 12 of the state’s fire districts.

“We had to make sure that we had the water supply that we need and the equipment we need to do the job,” Royal said while talking about the point system for the evaluation.

In addition to community members, Royal also thanked Sampson County Emergency Management, and surrounding fire stations who assist during emergencies. The department is currently preparing for its Virtual Reverse Drawing — a tradition that began 20 years ago to raise money for the department. With proceeds going towards the department, it’s another example of public support.

“The community is always very supportive of us when we do fundraisers which helps us out,” he added. “We don’t have to raise taxes, so we can keep the updated equipment that we need to accomplish this. “I’m very excited and I’ve got a great group of firefighters.”

Reach Chase Jordan at 910-249-4617. Follow us on Twitter at @SampsonInd and like us on Facebook.