The Salisbury Fire Department has received a Class No. 1 public protection classification rating by the Insurance Services Office.

The honor was presented by N.C. Fire Marshal Mike Causey on Tuesday at Fire Station No. 6. Salisbury now joins the Granite Quarry fire department as the only two in the county with the rating and one of 17 in the state that have earned the distinction.

“The Class 1 rating is a great accomplishment for our department and residents and is truly the result of various agencies working together to benefit our entire City,” said Salisbury Fire Chief Bob Parnell. “It is a reflection of the Salisbury firefighters who are assigned to the fire stations assuring their readiness and unprecedented service to the residents on a 24/7 basis. It also highlights the commitment by city’s departments such as the Fire Marshal’s Office, Salisbury Rowan Utilities, and Public Works Telecommunications and Fleet Divisions and our response fire department partners because we can’t do this alone. Our residents should know that this Class 1 rating is another way to ensure them that SFD is working daily to make our City a safe and resilient place.”

The North Carolina Response Rating System ranges from one (best) to 10 (not recognized as a certified fire department by the state), with most rural departments falling into the 9S category. While lower ratings do not necessarily indicate poor service, a higher rating suggests that a department is overall better equipped to respond to fires in its district. Higher ratings can also significantly lower insurance rates in that fire district. An ISO Class No. 1 rating is the best an organization can achieve in the fire service.

The inspection was conducted by officials with the Department of Insurance Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and is required on a regular basis as part of the North Carolina Response Rating System (NCRRS). The Salisbury Fire Department score is based on the routine inspections of proper staffing levels, sufficient equipment, proper maintenance of equipment, communications capabilities, availability of a water source and firefighter performance.

Business owners with commercial properties in Salisbury city limits can contact their insurance companies to let them know of the improvement and ask about the chance to lower their insurance rates.