CANTON — The Canton Fire Department was in full training mode on Wednesday as all in the department were on hand to prepare for the state inspection that happens every five years.
Haywood County Fire Marshall Andrew Messer was helping put the department through its paces, said Canton Fire Chief Kevin Wheeler.
The N.C. Department of Insurance’s Office of the State Fire Marshall conducts fire inspections across the state, but ratings are determined by a separate company — the Insurance Service Office.
This forprofit agency provides standardized ratings based on inspection reports, and is used by all insurance companies in the nation to determine insurance rates based on the quality of the available fire protection.
Each level a fire department can improve its rating amounts to about an 8% decrease on property insurance for homeowners.