MOUNT ULLA — The West Rowan Fire Department has completed its routine inspection and recently received a new ISO rating from the N.C. Office of State Fire Marshal. The department, located in Mount Ulla, which covers the Mount Ulla/Bear Poplar district, was awarded a 5.

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) has a system for determining the price of fire insurance in a community through a 1 to 10 classification system. The state essentially makes sure fire departments are providing adequate service for the people they protect through this rating system.

One is the highest and a 10 means the state does not recognize a department as a certified fire department. Most rural departments fall into the 9S category. While lower ratings do not necessarily indicate poor services, a higher rating does suggest that a department is, overall, better equipped to respond to fires in its district, a state department of insurance statement said.

“I’d like to congratulate Chief (John) Morrison for the department’s performance and for the hard work of all the department members,” said State Fire Marshal Mike Causey.

“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.

State law requires fire marshal office officials to inspect departments serving districts of 100,000 people or less, which makes up all but six of the state’s fire districts.

— Shavonne Walker