Fannin’s ISO rating improves

  • Fannin County firefighter Jacob Queen uses a specially designed rescue tool to cut through the windshield of a car. This was part of an extrication refresher course taught last week that 18 Fannin firefighters attended.
    Fannin County firefighter Jacob Queen uses a specially designed rescue tool to cut through the windshield of a car. This was part of an extrication refresher course taught last week that 18 Fannin firefighters attended.
  • Carl Raymond, third from left, instructs Fannin County firefighters, from left, Virginia Jones, Randy Seers and Matthew “Big Money” Karry, in the latest extrication techniques to remove patients from wrecked vehicles. This was part of a refresher course taught by Raymond Wednesday, June 23, in Blue Ridge.
    Carl Raymond, third from left, instructs Fannin County firefighters, from left, Virginia Jones, Randy Seers and Matthew “Big Money” Karry, in the latest extrication techniques to remove patients from wrecked vehicles. This was part of a refresher course taught by Raymond Wednesday, June 23, in Blue Ridge.
  • Fannin County Firefighter John Calvert uses a Hurst Ram to raise a roof on a wrecked car. This was one of the tools Fannin firefighters trained with during a refresher course on extricating patients from vehicles last week. Watching the effort is Fannin County Assistant Fire Chief Rob Ross.
    Fannin County Firefighter John Calvert uses a Hurst Ram to raise a roof on a wrecked car. This was one of the tools Fannin firefighters trained with during a refresher course on extricating patients from vehicles last week. Watching the effort is Fannin County Assistant Fire Chief Rob Ross.

    Fire Chief Larry Thomas told Fannin County commissioners he was happy to give them good news regarding the county’s Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating.

    This is the grading system used to rate the fire protection that residents of an area receive, and is a big part of the formula used by insurance companies in setting homeowner rates.

    Fannin County’s rate worsened from a 5/9 to a 6/6X in July 2019.

    But Thomas told commissioners that rate has now improved to a 5/5X.

    At the regular county commission meeting Tuesday, June 22, Thomas spoke from an email he received that morning from Michael C. Morash, community hazard mitigation manager for ISO.

    That email stated, “Chief, just following up on the status with the update for the survey. I checked with the office on the status. They are still behind with processing surveys since COVID, but I am pushing this one ahead.

    “Since I did the updates, you are showing the 5/5X, which is the improvement from 6/6X.”

    A separate email Thomas received soon after the first said the new rating will go out for a publication date in November 2021.

    Thomas gave credit to the hard work of all the men and women in the fire department for the improvement in the rating.

    Immediately after the protection class dropped in 2019, Thomas began working with ISO to have the county re-evaluated, and efforts were started to address deficiencies.

    Following the June 22 commission meeting, Thomas pointed out the three major areas that helped improve the rating; the hiring of six full-time firefighters, an extensive effort to make sure all the fire hydrants in the county are working properly, and a new emphasis on training and corresponding record keeping.

    The fire department surveyed all the hydrants in the county and found many to be out of service. These were reported to the proper water systems – Blue Ridge, McCaysville, Morganton and the county – for repair or replacement. Since initial improvements were completed, keeping a close watch on hydrants has been ongoing.

    After congratulating Thomas for the improvement, commission Chairman Jamie Hensley asked the chief for a list of things that would need to be accomplished to move the county from the 5 to a 4 so, “we can see what we need to do...to help our citizens in the county.”